


The Ghost who is Haunted

by Sakoi



Category: Borderlands (Video Games)
Genre: Abuse, Action, Alcoholism, Anger, Betrayal, Blood, Canon Related, Canon-Typical Violence, Canonical Character Death, Character Death, Dark fic, Death, Drug Addiction, During the events Borderlands 2, Emotional Manipulation, F/M, Feels bad moments, Fluff, Gun Violence, Handsome Jack - Freeform, Implied Sexual Content, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Use, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Jack being Jack, Jack is a bad guy, Knife Violence, Manipulation, Mind Manipulation, Murder, Obsession, Pain, Reader-Insert, Slow Burn, Swearing, Tim is a good Jack, Tim is still a goof, Timothy Lawrence - Freeform, Torture, Vault Hunters - Freeform, Violence, Younger Felix, non-consensual fluff, reader is a badass
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-26
Updated: 2021-02-11
Packaged: 2021-03-08 18:01:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 21
Words: 89,866
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27200806
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sakoi/pseuds/Sakoi
Summary: Pandora was a cruel and unforgiving world that you had the misfortune to be a part of. At a young age your sister was taken as you searched the planet for years to find her. Leaving only death and destruction in your wake, people started to call you a ghost as no one had ever lived to say who it was that caused the unseen bloodshed across the planet.It wasn’t till one day you received a clue that you only needed to look up to find your answers. The station that currently orbited above the planet was now your newest target but trouble arises when its murderous dictator finds out.
Relationships: Handsome Jack (Borderlands)/Reader, Timothy Lawrence/Reader
Comments: 14
Kudos: 90





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is a fair warning that this story will have a lot of 'doesn't feel good' moments as it will cover a variety of darker topics. I will be adding appropriate tags for everything but I hope you still enjoy this train wreck of events I have planned.
> 
> This story takes places some time around the events of Borderlands 2 at the height of Handsome Jack's conquest on Pandora. Reader specialized with daggers. 
> 
> [Y/N] = Your name

Living on Pandora has never been kind to you. This place was a cesspool full of the most psychotic and immoral people imaginable. A place littered in scars from corrupt companies looking to make a quick buck. Where blood is the ultimate currency and only those who pull the trigger first would be spared the planet's unforgiving wrath. 

Growing up with your father and younger sister Jenna, you lived in relative safety in Hollow Point. Life was never easy as you found yourself with barely enough food to get by and slept in dirt filled alleys, but you always looked out for Jenna. She was your baby sister, you would do anything to make sure she had everything she needed as your father squandered any money he made on cheap alcohol. His inadequacy as a parent forced you to grow up fast as you had to learn how to survive. Picking up tricks in thievery, you would steal money and food from others to make sure you had enough to provide for Jenna each day. At first you would return beaten and bruised from your failed targets but with more practice it became second nature and easier to spot when to run from danger. The one thing you always made sure of was to never involve her in your petty crimes. She would constantly plead with you to take her with you but she was just too pure, too innocent. No, you would make sure you were always there for her, protect her from the evils that lurked in the shadows and promised her one day you would leave this place together.

While you were cautious of the world and the bandits that inhabited it you would soon realize that you couldn’t trust anyone, not even your own father. Awakening one morning, you stretch your sore muscles from sleeping on the cold hard ground when you noticed that Jenna was nowhere to be seen. Panicking, you woke up your drunken father who swatted you away.

“Dad, where’s Jenna?”

“Mhssmmm go away brat.”

“She is missing. We need to go find her.”

“Shhhe is not missing, she’s gone.”

“What do you mean she’s gone?”

“What part of gone don’t you get? Now shhhut up or I’ll sell you away too. Pffft I don’t think I’d make as much money on you as I did with her though.”

You froze in shock from his words. This wasn’t real right? How could he have just sold his own daughter like she was nothing but an object? Your blood began to boil as the gravity of the situation dawned on you. Jenna, the only source of good in your life had been taken away by some unknown bandit, you had failed to protect her. Gritting your teeth in anger, your vision quickly became clouded with rage as you grabbed one of the empty bottles strewn around the half awake man. Smashing it against his head with a thunderous crack, you father screamed in agony as blood began to pour out of his open wound but you didn’t relent. Over and over you continued to slam into his head until your hands were stained red and he laid lifeless on the ground. Heaving heavily over the body, you trembled in anger and heartache as tears flowed down your face. You stood there alone as the crimson blood you were bathed in exposed the real cruelness of the world you lived in; its misery, its depravity. You weren’t strong enough to stop the horrors that plagued every soul unfortunate enough to call this planet home as it had finally claimed Jenna.

\--

You spent every waking moment trying to locate Jenna. Countless hours of searching as you learned how to defend yourself, how to trick others into getting the information you need and how to steal supplies to aid you. But when weeks turned into months and months into years, it finally started to feel hopeless. Jenna was gone, you just had to accept that. You had searched all over Pandora for her, interrogated and manipulated so many people to find some sort of clue on her whereabouts only to always fall short. Pondering at all the years you spent chasing after her, all you could only think of what you had become. A cold hearted thief that could take anything you deemed worthy without batting an eyelash. A deadly assassin who could bring down any target you set your gaze on. An unknown bandit who had grown a sizable reputation for all the deeds you had done. You had truly become all the things you tried to protect Jenna from.

Returning to Hollow Point, you sat in a booth of a dirty old bar nursing your fourth beer relenting in the fact that you were back where it all began. You huffed at the irony of drinking away your disappointments at one of the bars your drunken lout of a father once did. Chugging back a large swig, your eyes narrowed as a man slipped into the seat on the other side of the booth from you. He looked like he was only a few years older than you, thin built with a sprouting mustache above his lip and short brown hair that was clearly showing signs of it receding. 

“Something must be troubling you friend. I would suggest taking it a bit easy there.”

“And I suggest you mind your own business.”

“Touchy, but maybe I started off on the wrong foot. Names Felix.”

Staring at Felix with uninterested eyes, you tried your best to ignore him as you took another sip from your drink.

“How about I tell you a rumor I heard to help distract you from the demons you're trying to drink away. See they say a ghost has returned to Hollow Point. A legend that was created in this very town, causing suffering and death in their wake before disappearing into the night.”

Rolling your eyes, you turned your gaze to stare back into the venue. He didn’t seem to care as he continued to speak.

“Most say it's just an old wives tale. That no such person exists. But for me? Well I have some valuable resources to tell me they do and that they are right under our very nose.“

“What are you trying to imply?”

“Nothing really but I have use for someone of those talents. I’m sure once I find them, I can offer something worthy enough to catch their attention.”

“Not sure a ghost has any interests in what you have to offer.”

“I’m not so certain. Ask yourself this, why would they come back to Hollow Point? They left this place for a reason and now they have returned. But you know what I think? I think they have lost their purpose. The spark that kept them going all these years.”

Felix was a dangerous man, you could tell he wasn’t being just chatty with you, he knew something he shouldn’t. As you turn your gaze back menacing at him he only gave you a toothy smile. 

“Clearly they couldn’t achieve their goal on their own and what I propose is a beneficial exchange. If they helped me with some more... challenging work I need done then they would have access to my vast number of connections on Pandora and beyond.”

He wanted to use you, many have tried that before only for them to be sent to the Great Beyond by your hand. You figured that he probably wasn’t lying about having connections though, how else would he have found you if nobody ever lived long enough to give away your identity. It didn’t matter now anyways, Jenna was gone you told yourself but you couldn’t stop the thoughts of what if you had missed something. Shaking your head, you downed the rest of your beer as you stood up and left the bar. 

“[Y/N]”, Felix called out behind you as you had started making your way down the street. Instantly you stopped but didn’t turn back, “i,f you ever meet the ghost tell them I’ll be waiting at the Purple Skag for them.”

Gritting your teeth, you made your way deeper into the slums of Hollow Point. This wasn’t good, how connected was Felix that he knew your name. He was right on one thing, you were a ghost, nobody should have known who you were. You always took extra precautions to avoid being spotted as it was easier to sneak through undetected if everyone thought you were a nobody.

Finding a darken dirt filled alley, you sunk down onto the ground with your back against a dilapidated shack. Sighing at your string of bad luck, your thoughts wandered to how this place was your childhood. The sting of pain from those memories tormented you but no tears surfaced from your eyes, they had all dried up a long time ago. 

\--

The next few days were a blur, the constant perception of failure haunted you as you tried to wash them away by drinking. Your latest drunken stupor however seemed to have caused a ruckus as a group of bandits decided to follow you out looking for an easy lay based on the amount of alcohol you had consumed. Ignoring them you continued on until one stepped in front, blocking your path as they surrounded you. The man in front gave you a crooked smile as he pulled out a knife from his belt and lifted it up to your face. Eyes unblinking, you stared off as if the man wasn’t there while he tried his best to sweet talk you. You could hear the men surrounding you snicker at whatever lewd comment he just made but none of it reached your ears, the only thing that sparked your attention is when he went to grab you. Instantly you knocked the knife out of his hands as you kicked him straight in the junk. He winced taking a few steps backwards while the other men began to shout and advance towards you. As if it was a dance, you picked up the knife and weaved your way through their attacks as you dispatched the life from each one of them with ease. Turning back to the remaining man, he growled at you before charging straight on. With one sidestep, you dodge the brute attack while swifty gliding the knife along his neck. Covered in their blood, you now stood over their lifeless corpses as you signed heavy. Is this really how you want to spend the rest of your days? You already had become the thing you wanted to protect Jenna from but now you were becoming a drunkard just as your father was. Maybe you needed a distraction, something to at least keep your thoughts at bay, maybe you did need a purpose after all.

The next night you found yourself standing outside the Purple Skag. The building was in good shape compared to the lowlife bars you had been surfing in the slums but what stood out most was a bright purple sign outside depicting a skag head with a monocle and a top hat. You frown slightly at gaudy decor, there was a reason you didn’t like coming to posh places like this one. They always housed the worst types of bandits out there, the ones that think they are above the rest, the ones who would easily tell you sweet nothings before they stabbed you in the back for their own gain. You knew this was a bad idea, Felix seemed like a powerful person in this town based on your brief encounter. Meeting with him again could only spell disaster and misfortune but you knew that you were already slowly descending into madness on your own so maybe it wouldn’t hurt if to see what his offer entailed. Stepping inside, it was relatively clean as you sat at the bar, a younger lady showing a bit more cleavage than necessary leaned over the bar towards you.

“What can I get for you honey?”

“Something stiff and if you happen to know Felix let him know his ghost has arrived.”

She gives you a quick nod and wink before stepping away, returning shortly as she hands you a generous glass of whiskey. Swirling it around, you bring it up to your lips to find that it was bitter but still smooth, one of the nicer whiskeys you had in awhile. A simple bribe to ease your thoughts of leaving while you waited patiently at the bar. About half way through the glass, you heard footsteps come up behind you before stopping.

“Felix would like to speak with you.”

Downing the last of the drink, you turn to face two muscular goons now standing before you. Both were armed to the teeth but you didn’t find them much of a threat as you stood up tall before them. There was a moment of silence as you stared each other down before one began to walk off to a door on the other side of the room. Following, the other man stepped behind you as you were led out of the main bar and into a hallway until you reached another door. As they opened it, you found yourself in a well established office filled with numerous books and paperwork strewn about. Felix sat behind a wooden desk as he gave a nod to the goons who promptly left, shutting the door behind them. 

“I’m so glad you decided to visit [Y/N]. I was getting a little worried that you wouldn’t take me up on my offer.”

“Yah well I’m here now so tell me what is it you need my skills for.”

“Cutting right to the chase. Very well, you see I have some acquaintances that have acquired a device that doesn't belong to them. I need you to retrieve it for me but I also don’t want there to be any connections back to me.”

Was that really all he wanted? You were no stranger at infiltrating enemy compounds to steal information without detection. Sounded too easy of a job really but most likely there was something he isn't telling you. 

"But this is a fair exchange after all, so in turn for your services can I ask what you seek from me?"

You didn’t answer at first, contemplating if this was a big mistake to agree to his deal. “I’m searching for someone.”

“That's all? They must be pretty important to you then.”

“Important enough that I’ve killed everyone who even knew that much.”

“True, you are quite skilled at covering your tracks. But still, consider it done then.”

“How can you be so certain you can find them.”

“I found you didn’t I?”

\--

It was the dead of night as you sat on a rooftop overlooking a small warehouse on the outskirts of Hollow Point. The area was deserted and dilapidated but Felix has informed you of a group called the Crazy Butch Gang currently were running thier operations from this location. You had been watching the building for several days as you spotted a number of thugs leaving and entering the vicinity. You didn’t care who they were or what they were doing though, they were just another group of greedy bandits like everyone else on this godforsaken planet, the only difference is that they currently possessed a computer drive Felix had asked you to retrieve. Making your way down, you navigate your way towards the building, using the shadow of darkness to conceal yourself. Spotting the main entrance, there were two men currently standing watch with their weapons resting in their hands. Knowing that it would only sound an alarm for them to suddenly go missing, you noticed an open window on the second floor. Sneaking your way closer, you vaulted onto a nearby stack of boxes as you carefully made you way inside without them noticing. Landing on a metal catwalk, you could see the inside wasn’t any better than the outside as it was filled with rusted machinery of a forgotten time. Numerous bandits were located on the ground floor, fiddling with various tasks as some were working on assorted weaponry while others were busy drinking. Surveying the area, your attention focused on a burly-looking bandit who had his arms folded across his muscled chest as he stood in front of a isolated door. Presuming that he would be guarding something worth value, you began to stealthy make your way across the room undetected as you leaped down behind a set of ammunition crates just out of range of the door. Waiting for a moment, you confirmed that no one was aware of your presence before you picked up a large rust bolt that had become dislodged from the broken down machinery long ago. Hurling it towards a passed out drunk bandit a few yards away, he yelped at the sudden pain of it striking his head. Quickly standing up, he turned to the closest person beside him as he yelled out in anger.

“What the hell was that for jackass! I’m gonna make you pay for that!”

Instantly his fist collided with the other man's jaw as an all out brawl began to form. Different bandits soon joined in as you could see the burly one grunt in frustration before leaving his post to break up the fight. As soon as he passed you swiftly moved to the door, quietly entering before shutting it behind you. The room was a vacant office, a bit run down as the furniture inside had seen better days but was otherwise empty with no one present. Making your way around the main desk, you searched through the random assortments of papers on its surface. After a few moments of searching you found a bright yellow drive among them, picking it up as your examined it in your hand. This must be the device Felix was wanting, easy enough you thought. Storing it away, you reached for the door handle when a thunderous _bang_ could be heard outside, the sounds of screaming and gunshots erupted as you peered out the doorway. An explosion at the entrance had ripped a gigantic hole into the side of the building as waves of Hyperion Loader Bots were descending into the ground floor. Pulling out your pistol, you quickly made your way out and behind cover as bandits and bots took aim at one another. Through the carnage and chaos you dashed from cover to cover, killing anyone who even darted their eyes in your direction. Edging your way closer to the exit, the ground began to shake violently as you looked up to see the roof beginning to collapse from the massive instructional damage afflicted to the building. Dodging out of the way of falling debris, you continued on as bots and bandits still opened fire upon each other. With them all still distracted, you made your way back out a side window before the building fully crumbled in on itself. Sprinting off into the darkness once more, you never looked back knowing that no human would have survived and you would need to distance yourself from any remaining bots. 

Once you thought you were relatively safe and that no Hyperion bots were following, you made your way back to the Purple Skag. Stepping into Felix’s office, he quickly stood up as his eyes narrowed onto yours.

“[Y/N], what the hell happened? I have gotten reports of the compound being completely destroyed. You were to get out in and out without causing a scene.”

“Yah well it got complicated when Hyperion decided to bust down the doors.”

“Hyperion? Shit. Then I can assume your task was a failure.“

“Not quite.” Holding out the yellow drive, you saw his features soften as he grinned.

“Ha, I guess your talents should never have been a doubt.” Reaching out his hand, you pulled away slightly.

“First, you tell me what I want to hear.”

“Smart, I’ll give you credit for that. Very well, not much information is out there but I did manage to find this.”

Retrieving a folder from his top drawer, he gestured it out towards you as you exchanged the drive for it. Quickly opening it, you were greeted with paperwork of an Hyperion employee named Dr. Cooper. As you scanned over the first document, it listed various achievements and information on different related projects till you flipped to the next page where an image of a younger woman was attached. It was Jenna, it had to be, she looked so similar to her but she was a Hyperion Scientist? No wonder you could never find her on Pandora, she had been above you this whole time instead. Your mind raced with several emotions; joy, grief, anger but your face stayed neutral as you looked back at Felix.

“Then our deal is concluded.” You turned towards the door before the audible _click_ of a gun was heard behind you.

“I told you [Y/N]. I didn’t want any connections back to me.”

A small sigh left your lips, of course he was betraying you, it didn't surprise you in the least. Men like him were all the same, greedy violent pigs that would do whatever it took to save their own hide. Turning back, your eyes met as you stared at him coldly. The room was eerily still as you waited for him, both unmoving as time seemed to be at a stand still. With a small smirk, you watched as his finger began to press down on the trigger before you made your move. Swiftly you ducked out of the bullet’s path as you charged towards him. Closing the gap, you knocked the gun out of his grip as it slid across the floor. Exchanging blows, you fought one another until you landed a hard hitting punch that sent him a few steps backwards. His hand wiped across his busted lip as blood began to spill forth, his eyes filled with rage as he threw another punch your way. Dodging it, you went to land a counter attack when he suddenly grabbed you and violently turned you around so your back was against his chest as his arm pressed down on your throat. Struggling against his hold, you tried to pry him off only to find that he was quite strong as he held you in place. It was becoming difficult to breath as you let go and reached for a small dagger on your belt. With a swift strike, you brought it up over your shoulder landing it directly into Felix’s right eye. He cried out in pain as his grip loosened, allowing you to elbow him in the gut as the door suddenly burst open with his two goons looking to see what the commotion was. Without hesitation, you pulled out your own pistol as you shot both men dead in a single moment. With Felix still occupied with the knife now logged into his eye socket, you grabbed the folder and computer drive as you rushed out of the Purple Skag, escaping out into the streets of Hollow Point.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, thanks for taking the time to read. Please let me know of any errors or helpful criticism.  
> \--  
> Back after the high of finishing my previous story. This time I want to make more of a running series out of it so updates may be slower as it wont be as condensed but I have plans laid out so I am hoping to get a chapter done a week at the minimum. (I obviously have to much free time on my hands.)
> 
> This chapter serves as a introduction to your hardships/personality so get ready for the adventure to begin next update.


	2. Chapter 2

Cursing at yourself, you realized you had made a grave mistake. In your haste to leave the Purple Skag you had left Felix alive. If you were lucky he wouldn’t survive the injury you had inflicted but you never liked leaving things up to chance. Blinded by the possibility of finding Jenna, nothing else seemed to matter in the moment. Your hands trembled slightly as you gripped the folder, after all these years you finally found something. Evidence that confirmed she wasn’t just a figment of your memories.

Grabbing a technical from the local Catch-A-Ride, you left Hollow Point in a hurry as you worried that if Felix did in fact survive he would have his goons soon scouring the town for you. Maybe you shouldn’t have taken the drive with you, maybe he would have left you alone but it filled you with such satisfaction to know that he gained nothing from his betrayal.

It was dark out when you reached your destination, an old abandoned mining facility that was left to rust and decay in the elements. Stopping outside the main gate, you stepped out of the vehicle and walked with purpose into the main yard. You knew this area well as you stopped in front of a red electrical box, flipping a switch that turned on the facility's power. The audible sound of mechanisms sparking to life filled the air as you headed to one of the nearby buildings and entered a few numbers into a keypad beside the door. It unlocked as it opened up into a small room that contained a bed, a desk area with an outdated computer console and some crates filled with various supplies. It was a safe haven you had created a few years back during your travels as a sort of base of operations. Closing the door behind you, you flopped down on the bed as you looked over the file again with interest.

Hyperion kept a vast variety of personal information on their employees; date of birth, blood type, planet of origin, their current and past relationship partners; you name it, it was there. But as you studied the data, you began to notice inconsistencies with Dr. Cooper being Jenna. While her age was right the rest wasn’t, it stated she was born on Eden-6 to a wealthy merchant family. There she had studied the local fauna and successfully extracted rare bio-signatures that were currently being used in several different projects funded by Hyperion in the Research & Development department. You sighed heavily as they placed the folder down, what if this wasn’t Jenna? Maybe the information was faulty to cover up she is originally from Pandora? Or more likely Felix provided you with fake information, after all he did expect you to die at the end of his plan. Still this gave you hope, motivation to continue to search for her and at the very least ensure that she was alright. A smile crossed your lips as you realized if this was truly her you were kind of happy, she had made it off this worthless planet and found something to aspire too. Maybe the horrors that resided in each unfortunate soul born to this world didn't grab her entirely. Curling up on the bed, you shut your eyes feeling better than you had in a very long time.

\--

Waking up the next day, you made yourself a small breakfast with your stored rations as you took a seat in front of the rickety desk. Looking at the employee profile of Dr. Cooper once more, you began to contemplate on your options. Getting onboard Helios is going to be difficult, the Hyperion station is a heavily guarded fortress with top of the line security. You recall the few times of having to bypass Hyperion defenses at some smaller outposts and that they were all unnecessarily complicated. There were systems built upon systems that needed several layers of authorization just to get from one room to the next. That wouldn’t deter you from getting onto Helios thought, even if hacking wasn’t your strong suit, finding the flaws in the systems were. 

Letting out a heavy sigh, you massaged your temples lightly thinking about all the complications that could arise but quickly dismissed them to focus on the first step, getting to Helios. There was an Hyperion eridium mine not too far from your location, your best bet would be scouting its supply routes and seeing if there was a way to smuggle yourself on board. Getting up from the chair you stopped half way when you remembered the object still sitting in your pocket. Retrieving the yellow drive, you examined it in your hands figuring that it must be important if Felix sent you to retrieve it only to then attempt to murder you afterwards.

Turning on the dusty console, it booted up with the screen filling with static before showing you the basic UI interface. Plugging in the drive, you watched as the the screen was suddenly filled with several windows showing you a number of different code snippets. Scanning through them you realized what they were, override codes; Not just any codes, they were Hyperion override codes. You couldn’t believe your luck, any madman who had these would be able to walk into a Hyperion base, steal their secrets and be long gone before any alarm was sounded. This certainly was going to come in handy, you thought as you ejected the drive and started collecting your gear. 

Exiting the bunker, the sun was directly above as you shielded your eyes briefly. As you walked towards your vehicle, you noticed something shine at the top of the wooden water tower, something that was reflecting light back at you. Quickly you ran forward as the sound of a sniper rifle rang and the impact of a bullet landed just behind you. Taking cover beside one of the buildings, you pulled out your pistol as you began to formulate a plan to get to a technical when a large booming voice filled the air.

“I suggest you don’t hide from us. Felix says you have something of his.”

Peering around the corner, you spotted four bandits now standing between you and the gated entrance. Most were equipped with a standard SMG but you quickly noted that none of them had a sniper rifle meaning that there was still at least one more at the tower. 

“If you just give us what we want, I promise that we won't hurt you.”

An obvious lie, you could hear the sound of footsteps getting closer as you pulled out a dagger from your belt. Taking a few deep breaths you waited, the sounds getting louder until they were just about to come within vision. With precision, you threw the knife as the first bandit that round the corner. Landing right into his chest as he collapsed to the floor, the others opening fire as you ducked behind a metal container. Returning fire, you gunned down one more member as the remaining two took cover. Leaning out to get a better view, you felt the sting of a bullet kissing your shoulder. Withdrawing quickly, you clasped a hand over the area as you hissed from the pain. Luckily, the bullet had only grazed your skin as a thin layer of blood began to soak your clothes. Cursing, you reload your pistol when you hear the main bandit’s voice again. 

“Go flush her out, I’ll keep you covered.”

Why were bandits always so stupid in yelling out their plans? Crouching down low, you pulled another dagger out as you waited for the bandit to appear in your field of vision. Rushing forward towards him, he began to panic as he fired wildly at you. The bullets flew over head as you quickly came into range and stood up behind him, sinking the blade into his arm as you used it as leverage to twist his body to face the water tower. Instantly the familiar sound of a sniper rifle went off as a bullet landed square in the chest of the unfortunate shield you made. His body began to go limp as you tossed it to the ground, sprinting towards the tower. Taking cover as needed from the incoming shots, you were about to be directly underneath when you noticed the main bandit appeared on your flank as his fist was about to collide with you. Pivoting in place, you used your momentum to dodge it just in the nick of time. He threw punch after punch as you defend yourself from the blows, slowly stepping backwards with each block. As soon as the back of your foot hit something solid, you shifted your weight to the side to dodge the next attack as his fist went past your shoulder and into a wooden beam. With a harsh crack, the beam splintered as the structure of the water tower began to collapse. He looked up which was a mistake as you grabbed your pistol, brought it up to his chin and pulled the trigger. After the debris had finally settled, you made your way through, stopping in front of the sniper as he scrambled backwards away. Lifting your pistol towards him, he began to cry out.

“Don’t shoot please. L-let me go.”

“Felix sent you?”

“Y-yes he did. He did. Please.”

“I need you to tell him a message,” you see him visibly relax as he nods vigorously. “A message that no one survives an encounter with a ghost,” a faint smile crossed your lips as you pulled the trigger.

As his body slumped to the ground, you picked up the sniper rifle beside him and examined it. A Jakobs gun, sturdy make with a decent scope; this could be useful. Placing it upon your back, you shut down the power to the mine before leaving the mess behind and getting into your technical.

\--

You've been watching the Hyperion mine for three days now. With the sniper’s scope, you were able to keep a safe distance away as you watch the guard rotations, loader bot locations and shipment schedules for Helios. Everything seemed pretty standard until you started to notice more civilians showing up in the main base. Some had arrived from a ship from Helios, mostly men adored in white lab coats, while some had arrived by vehicle. The latter ones were a mix of men and women, mostly younger in age. From this distance you didn’t know what their purpose was to be on Pandora, let alone a mining facility, but you figured this would be the best scenario to use as cover to get into the base.

Waiting until night, you approached the stronghold with extreme caution, making sure to avoid the guard’s paths and staying out of sight of any bots. Keeping close to the metal exterior wall, you made your way down until you spotted a drainage gate a few yards in ahead. Examining it, you could see it led into a decent size pipe that you could crawl through as you felt around the edge. Your fingers caught onto a small seam in the metal as you pried off a covering panel to a small keypad.

“Time to see this baby in action.”

Pulling out the drive, you placed into the adjacent port. Waiting a few seconds, it gave off an audible chime as the gate unlocked and slightly lifted. A smirk crossed your lips as you placed the drive back in your pocket and entered the base through the open pipe way. Following the tunnel a few yards, you peered out of a surface grate that was located beside a large metal structure. Seeing that the coast was clear, you pulled yourself out as you crouched low to the wall. There were only a few patrols inside the compound based on your observations but you didn’t want to take any chances. Moving swiftly, you headed towards one of the larger buildings but as you reached for the handle the door began to swing open towards you. Pushing your body up against the wall, you watched as a female civilian walked out with a bundle of items in her hands. Trailing behind her, she stopped at the door of a nearby building as she swiped a card before entering. Intercepting the door before it locked, you stepped inside to find yourself in a large locker room with conjoining showers. The woman now stood at the far end with her back towards you as you ducked behind a row of lockers. The distinct sound of a shower running filled the room as you peered out to see she was gone. You could see she had left her clothes on a nearby bench as you moved closer and picked up the card she used to swipe in. 

_Amy Scout_  
_Hyperion Intern_  
_Division: Weapons Engineering_

This was perfect, a Hyperion Employee I.D. card. If you could manage to take her place and pass off as an intern you could easily get to Helios without suspicion. Ok, maybe it would be a little more difficult than that but it was better than having to find a way to hitch a ride on an eridium container, you thought. Ensuring that no one else was in the building, you locked the outer door as you went back to the occupied shower. Covering her mouth to muffle the screams you quickly twisted her neck as she fell limp in your arms. 

“Sorry, nothing personal.”

Dragging her out to the lockers, you placed her inside one as you stood there soaking wet from the drainage way and having stepped into the shower. With a sigh, you began to strip off all your gear and place them into the locker, keep a small handful of daggers to smuggle with you before shutting the door. Taking the opportunity to have a decent shower, you bathed yourself before putting on her clothes. They were typical business attire that you had seen high-class women wear before; white blouse, black pencil skirt, and some black high heels that you couldn’t help but grimace at. Thankful that she was a similar build to you, the clothes fit snuggly to your figure as you took a few shaky steps in the heels wondering how company women think these type of shoes were even practical. After spending a few minutes practicing your walk, you made your way back to the original building she had left. The door chimed when it unlocked with your new I.D. card as you made your way into the barracks, found an empty bed and waited for morning.

\--

A space shuttle was ready to depart the next morning as you stood in the line with all the other interns. An older bloke in a lab coat was currently yelling at you about the greatness of Hyperion and how lucky you were to be selected to be a part of it. It was progressively becoming harder to blend in as you wanted nothing more than to make him stop talking but you could see all the other recruits were enthralled by his speech as their faces beamed with pride. Letting out a silent huff, you waited patiently for your turn to board the ship that would bring you to Helios. 

You didn’t know what to expect from the journey, you had never been off Pandora before. Frowning a little at the thought that you had once promised Jenna you would leave one day together, the engines roared as the craft propelled forward as it arched upwards. It was a bumpy experience as you gripped onto the armrest tight until it suddenly stopped. Looking out the viewport all that you could see now was an endless sea of distant stars. It was one of the most beautiful things you had ever seen, a vast void of never-ending darkness that you wish could take you away from Pandora for good. Spending your whole trip staring out into space, you were pulled out of your daze when the craft shook lightly as it ported into the station. The hiss of an airlock sounded as the doors opened, allowing you to step out into the grand vista of the Helios Station.

If space was the greatest creation of a unknown maker then Helios must be one of the grand pinnacles of what mankind was capable of. It was like nothing you had ever seen before, an entire metropolis covered in black, grey and bright yellow metal as holographic projections of advertisements and announcements displayed on every major surface. Where you figured it would be similar to the outpost on Pandora, you found yourself standing there in amazement of how wrong you were. 

Before you stood a security gate that separated you from the large open courtyard that you could see was filled with people going about their daily activities. Following the group, you were led into a small side area as you waited at the back of the line. The older scientist from before explained that you each would step into the machine to complete your employee profile before heading off to your assigned divisions. Watching closely, the first intern was instructed to swipe their I.D. and step into a cylindrical machine. A few moments later, a rather large needle would emerge from a side panel, extracting a DNA sample for them. It wasn’t a good idea to let Hyperion have your DNA, there was no telling what they could do with it and since you didn’t have plans on staying it was better to be safe. Thinking of a plan, you knew pulling out a dagger wasn’t going to be an option as the area was heavily guarded and there would be too many witnesses. Glaring at the machine in front of you, your thoughts raced through multiple scenarios to find a solution till you noticed someone staring at you. Turning slightly, you spotted the technician behind a desk as he was looking at you every so often. He was a nerdy looking fellow, small build, thick glasses but you could see the bags under his eyes. Constantly drinking out of a large cup, which you presumed would have coffee, as he processed each intern into the system. After each entry he would take a sip as he glanced at you, clearly checking you out. The next time he brought his cup closer to his lips, your eyes met with his as he froze for a moment. A smile crossed your lips as you tilted your head slightly, giving him a casual wink. You could see him gasp as grip on his cup slipped and crashed down on the console before him. Sparks of electricity erupted from the machine as the poor intern trapped inside began to scream out in pain. With the abrupt chaos of the situation, you quickly ducked out the way as personal and employees rushed to the scene. Swiping the I.D. card from the older scientist pocket, you scanned yourself through one of the other doors as you hastily made your way into the courtyard of Helios undetected. Keeping an eye behind you to see if anyone was following, you turned a corner hastily as you ran into a heavy mass, falling backwards from your sudden loss of balance in your high heels. 

“Watch where you're going cupcake.”

Turning your gaze up at the man, your brow was furrowed only for them to instantly release in disbelief. This was really just your luck, you had successfully entered Helios only to run straight into the arms of the most dangerous man on the station, Handsome Jack.

“What? Don’t tell me your starstruck already,” he gave you a coy smirk as you internally groaned. 

“No. I mean. I’m sorry sir.”

“I would say don’t let it happen again but honestly I wouldn’t mind a pretty thing like you kept falling for me.” Jack reached his hand out to you as he lifted back up to your feet. 

“I'll be sure to correct my mistake sir. I was distracted.”

“If you say so. Got a name pumpkin?” 

“Ah, Amy. Amy Scout. I am a newer intern for the Weapons Engineering Division.”

“Weapons Engineering huh? I guess they finally found some eye candy to put in with all those old geezers there.”

“You're too kind sir.”

“Damn right I am. Now I’d love to stay and chit chat with you but I gotta go see which idiot just destroyed my security gate. I’m sure I’ll be seeing you real soon”.

Giving you a sly wink, you shiver slightly as he walked past you towards the commotion at the gate. As soon as he was far enough away, you let out the breath you were holding. That was too close for comfort as you quickly headed further into Helios, making as much distance as possible from Handsome Jack. 

\--

You changed your mind, this place had to be the worst thing you had ever laid eyes on. In all directions you could not escape the overbearing branding of Hyperion and the countless depictions of Handsome Jack. Maybe you could look past the décor but the people here were not any better. Most seemed to be just timid employees happy to serve their higher ups while said executives were boorish and constantly flaunting their status. While they weren’t as brash as a bandit on Pandora, you could still tell many of them had blood on their hands. 

With your borrowed I.D. cards, you managed your way down into a lower area of Helios that was more secluded. Locating an empty terminal, you accessed the basic map of the station as you spotted where the Research & Development was located. After several wrong turns and having to ask a few people for directions, you managed to locate the entrance of the R&D labs. By this point you figured it must have been nightfall though it was hard to tell what time it really was on the station. The only indication you had to go off of was that there were fewer people walking the hallways as you assumed they went back to their quarters. Trying several access panels with your borrowed I.D. cards, many of them denied your entry as you made your way through the department. It wasn’t until you reached a side door that it chimed at the old man’s I.D. and opened up onto an elevator platform. Activating the button inside, the doors closed behind as the platform began to descend, opening back up to a dimly lit area. 

Surveying the lab, the room glowed a light blue tint from the massive aquariums that encased the room on both sides. They housed a number of strange creatures you had never seen before but you quickly dismissed them as you kept your focus on the area. There were no signs of other personal on the floor as you walked by several desks and computer consoles covered in different stacks of paperwork and academic books. Peering over one of the desk, you suddenly froze at the sound of a deep breath. Unmoving, you listened closely as you scanned your surroundings for the source. Again you heard it but this time it was more of a snore? Stepping around a different console, you spotted a middle aged man who had fallen asleep at his workstation. You contemplated for a moment if you should kill him but figured if he hadn't woken up already then he probably wasn’t worth the effort. Continuing on, you reach an office door outfitted with a plaque with the same name as the one list on your borrowed I.D. card. Quickly gaining access, you slipped inside to find just another desk with a computer console filled with the same assortment of paperwork and books. It was quickly becoming apparent that this scientist's I.D. wasn’t going to bring you much closer to Jenna. It seemed that Hyperion was smart enough to limit the access to each individual person but lucky for you, you didn’t just have I.D. cards to work with. Pushing the papers out of the way, you plug in the drive into the console as you watch the download take place. Slowly it began to open all sorts of files previously not displayed, weapon schematics, transaction receipts, corporate contacts, until you noticed an HR document listing assigned employees and their status within Hyperion. 

“Bingo.”

As soon as you went to interact with the file, the screen flashed before a 3D digital Handsome Jack head spawned in the middle as it rotated around in circles.

_Better luck next time._

Suddenly, the lab was filled with the sounds of alarms and red flashing lights. Ejecting the drive, you rushed to the door to find it locked as the I.D. card no longer allowed you access to get out. Cursing under your breath, you quickly scanned the room to find there were no windows and the walls surrounding were made of smooth metal, trapping you in like a cage. Your eyes darted upwards as you spotted an air vent in the ceiling just big enough for you to enter. Pushing the massive desk closer, you pulled out a dagger as you pried off the metal grate and climbed inside the air duct. It was a tight squeeze but you managed to crawl your way through until you reached the end. Knocking down another grate, you gracefully vaulted out and landed on the metal floor below. Standing up, you found yourself back at the entrance of the lab when the chime of the elevator grabbed your attention. Swinging your body towards the door, you were greeted by several armed security guards now pointing their weapons in your direction. Your focus was not on them though, your gaze met with daunting heterochromia eyes as a man stood tall in front with him arms folded, giving you a wicked smile.

“Hey there kiddo.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, thanks for taking the time to read. Please let me know of any errors or helpful criticism.  
> \--  
> Sorry in advance if you name happens to be Amy :)


	3. Chapter 3

Being dragged down a metal corridor, you were trying to break free of three tough military-garbed personnel's grip. You struggled as your heels didn’t find purchase on the smooth floor while they kept you secured. Bringing you to a dimly lit room, it was fully encased in thick metal that featured a set of matching metal chairs on each side of a large table. Forcing you into one of the chairs, they tried to pull your hands behind you when your right hand slipped through their hold. Swiftly you punch the closest guard directly in the face as he recoils slightly to the impact. Quicker than you would have liked, he regained his composure as he grabbed your head and slammed it down into the table. Stars filled your vision as you gasped from the pain that vibrated in your skull. In your daze state, they pushed you back roughly as they finished restraining you with your hands behind and your legs strapped down to the chair. Hanging your head low, you barely registered the guards leaving the room as the door closed with an angry _thud_. Wincing at the loud sound, you tried to focus your mind as you tugged at your new restraints. The embrace of cold metal held your back as you felt your skin begin to chafe after continuously pulling against them.

A heavy sigh let your lips as you leaned back in the chair. Sure, you figured that this would have happened when you came to Helios but you thought at least you would have been able to meet Jenna before you were found out. Guess it was too good to be true that you were this close to possibly finding her after all these years.

Several hours passed as you waited in the dark, you could feel yourself lull in and out of consciousness as you struggled to stay awake. It wasn’t till a bright light filled the room that caused you to focus as your eyes squinted at the sudden intrusion. Your vision shifted to the door as Handsome Jack stepped inside, a smirk crossed his lips as he shut the door behind him. Placed a small bag on the table that gave an audible _clank_ , he took the seat opposite to you. Leaning forward with his hands clasped under his chin, he tilted his head slightly as he spoke.

“You know if you wanted to see me again so badly you could have just asked pumpkin.”

You frowned in response as your eyes darkened to his dangerous gaze.

“Not as talkative now huh? That’s too bad because you sure have a lot to explain why I found you sneaking around where you don’t belong.”

Biting your inner lip, you kept quiet as you let your features tell him you were not intimidated by him. You weren’t scared of him and honestly you thought for a second that maybe you should, but if this was gonna be the end you weren’t gonna give him any gratification in threatening you.

“You don’t have to make this hard pumpkin. All you need to do is tell me what I want to know. You can do that right? If you are a good girl, maybe I’ll make your death as painless as possible.”

“Do you ever shut up?” you couldn’t hold back your growing frustration from just being in his presence.

“Ah, you had me worried for a second that you had become a mute since last we met but tell me, why would I do that? If you haven't noticed yet everyone here hangs off my words like their life depends on it because- well it does.”

“You're insufferable.”

“That’s a big word of you kitten. Maybe you're not just a pretty face after all. Really be a shame to have to ruin it.”

A growl left your lips at his comment, “I’m not scared of you Jack.”

“Oh but you should be. Because all that stuff you’ve heard about me? It is a lie, I’m way worse.” His smile grew straight across his perfect face, “so let’s start from the beginning then. Something easy. Give me your name.”

“I told you already, it's Amy.”

“I know you're not being truthful there kiddo. So I'll let you in on a little secret. I don’t like being lied to.”

“Then be prepared to be disappointed.”

Jack leaned back as he let out a heavy breath. Standing up, he quickly swiped a hand through his hair as he walked around the table and pushed your chair out so it faced towards him.

“Let me help jog your memory.”

Before you could react, his fist collided with the side of your face as it snapped to the side. You were slightly surprised by his strength as the distinct metallic taste of blood hit your tongue. Placing a hand on the chair, Jack leaned in closer to you.

“How about now? Name.”

“Go fuck yourself.”

“As long as you're watching cupcake. Let’s try another question, tell me how you got your hands on this.”

Jack pulled out the familiar yellow drive you took from Felix as he waved it in front of you.

“I found it. Finders keepers.”

“Want to elaborate?”

“Maybe you should ask all those dead thugs you killed with your loader bots.”

“Ah, so you survived the raid on the warehouse. Good to know that those idiots I put in charge didn’t fuck up as bad as I thought. Sneaked out right under their noses then huh? Got to say that’s quite impressive. Shame I had to kill them for failing to retrieve it.”

“Not my problem.”

“That’s pretty cold-blooded of you, but I guess you bandits are all the same. Taking things that don’t belong to you even if it hurts innocent people.”

“I wouldn’t say Hyperion is filled with innocent people. Besides, I'm not the one that let bandits steal important override codes in the first place.“

“Oh you think- hahahaha!” Jack let out a rich chuckle as he wiped an invisible tear from his eye. “You really are just so stupid. I didn’t let them steal the codes, I gave it to them.”

Your eyes widen a little in surprise, you really didn’t question how the Crazy Butch Gang got their hands on Hyperion codes. Really you should have seen it as a red flag since getting any information about Hyperion was as difficult as milking a skag.

“You see cupcake. I tracked those bandits when they thought they could get away from me. I let them go back to their little hideout just so I could make sure that every single one of them died. Why kill only a few when you can clear out the whole lot but I guess they missed one.”

Reaching towards the bag on the table, he retrieved one of your smuggled daggers. Jack twirled it in his hand as it danced gracefully over his palm, demonstrating to you that he was well versed with a blade.

“These are pretty dangerous toys you had tucked away.” Taking the empty chair, he pulled it up to yours as he sat on the edge, his legs caging your thighs between them. “What idiotic plan did your little gang have with my codes?”

“I wasn’t a part of them.”

The dagger sunken into your thigh as a wave of pain washed over you. The air left your lungs as you tried desperately to calm your growing heart rate.

“No? Kitten, I told you I don’t like being lied to.“

“I’m not lying,” you hissed.

“Then tell me why were you in the warehouse.”

Your gaze met with his as you snarled at him. He responded to your lack of answer by twisting the blade still embedded in your flesh. A cry of agony left your lips as the pain intensified.

“You bastard.”

“Language cupcake. Why were you in the warehouse?”

“Why does it matter?”

“Because I’m asking you. Now answer the question,” he put a little more pressure on the blade as you grunted.

“I- I was hired to take it.”

Jack hummed to your answer as he pulled the blade from your leg. Gasping from the release, you felt the sensation of warm liquid spilling out from the open wound.

“Who hired you?”

“Ha, just another scumbag like you. Probably still searching all over Pandora for me. I really should have killed him when I had the chance but I'll correct that mistake after I kill you ”

“Oh that’s rich. What makes you think that you're gonna win in this scenario? If you couldn’t tell kiddo your under my mercy and let me tell you something. I don’t give it out to bandits like you.”

Gripping your hair, Jack pulled your head back roughly as you winced. Bringing the dagger up to your neck, he glided it against your skin lightly but not hard enough to cut. Growling you held your darkened gaze with his blue and green eyes as you pulled yourself forwards slightly, the blade's edge digging into your skin as small trail of blood seeped down your skin. Showing him a fang, you dared him to kill you as his eyes narrowed onto yours from the challenge. A knock on the cell’s door interrupted the tension as Jack released the knife on your neck, the door opening to reveal an older gentleman with blonde hair wearing a grey suit with yellow pinstripes.

“Excuse my intrusion sir but we just received the reports you ask for.” He held a ECHO Pad out towards Jack as he addressed him.

Jack huffed slightly as he took the device from the man and began to swipe through the information. A smirk crossed his lips as his features showed genuine interest in the reports.

“Oooh ho ho, this is too good. Blake, cancel the rest of my meetings for the day. Kitten’s got a lot of explaining to do.”

\--

Time was an illusion, you didn’t know how long Jack had you stuck in that chair to his will. The dagger he wielded continued to etch into your skin as your breath became ragged overtime. The heat from its impacts scorched your body as the pain was suffocating. Blood soaked your clothes as your mind was having a hard time focusing, barely able to comprehend what Jack was saying. He took his time as he slowly went through the reports that outlined all the events you took to getting on to Helios. How cameras at the mining facility had caught you entering, your harsh execution of the real Amy Scout, and even complimented your stunt at the security gate noting that idiots can get so easily distracted by their sexual desires. He would continue to ask you questions but words never escaped your lips, the pain muted you as the only sounds you could make were ones of anguish. As you felt your consciousness begin to slip, he would quickly inject you with an Insta-Health vial that would stabilize you before continuing on his torment.

“So kitten, there really only one more question to answer. You see while I know how you managed to breach my defenses and get this far, it doesn’t tell me why. So how about you let me know so we can get this over with.”

“Just kill me. I- I’m not gonna.”

“Don’t be like that. I know that you came to Helios on your own accord. Just tell me why.”

“No.”

“You're stubborn aren’t you.” Twirling the knife once more between his fingers, he looked lost in thought. “I guess maybe you need a bit of time to clear your head. After all we’ve been at this all day and I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to take a break.”

“Wha- Just kill me already.”

“No, I don't think I will. At least not yet. This was too much fun and it would suck to end the party early.”

You wanted to growl at him, scream at how much you despised him. Tell him that he wouldn’t get the answers he sought but you were just so tired. It was too hard to even keep your gaze to him after the amount of blood you have lost.

“Get comfy cupcake. We’ve got lots of time to get to know one another.”

After Jack left, you didn’t have the strength to fight as guards entered the room and dragged your limp body out. Unceremoniously you were placed on a cold surface as you hissed lightly to the contrast in temperature. The light above you was too bright, your vision blurred as you watched multiple figures surround you. A pressure on your arm spurred your muscles to move away as their touch intensified. The pain became unbearable as you gritted your teeth when it suddenly subsided, your body fully relaxed. Unable to move you laid there as your eyes finally closed to darkness.

\--

When you awoke next, the first thing you noticed was how stiff your body was. Straining to sit up, your muscles protested against your commands as they struggled to move. Looking at yourself, you were outfitted in a generic white jumpsuit with yellow accents but as you scanned over your skin for all the lacerations Jack had inflicted, they were fully healed. As if they had never been there in the first place, you traced over your skin on a few new faded scars that were the only physical evidence of their pre-existence. Contemplating shortly about how long you must have been out for, your focus turned to the room. It was a small room devoid of any furniture other than the bed you were currently sitting on, a prison cell. Slowly stretching your muscles, you swung your legs over the edge as you stood up on unsteady legs. It took a few minutes to find your balance when the cell door in front of you opened.

“Oh, you are awake. Fantastic,” a middle aged man with large goggles and a pristine white lab coat walked in as he looked up from his data pad. “We can finally begin the physical assessment test to determine if-”

As he went to take a stepper closer, you quickly shifted to a defensive stance.

“No need to be alarmed. I am only assigned to see your recovery.“

“How long have I been out?”

“About 8 weeks. You should consider yourself lucky, we weren’t sure you wouldn’t survive the first 24hrs when you were first brought in.”

Damn that Jack, left you on death’s door only to bring you back. Gritting your teeth, your hands clenched tightly until you could feel your nails dig into your palms. Taking a deep breath, you tried to let go of your sudden anger when you focused your gaze back on the doctor. He shifted slightly under your unforgiving stare as he cleared his throat.

“I should let you know that this floor is under heavy security. And I do need to run some tests to determine your current health but I will try to make it as comfortable as possible if that will ease you.“

Eyes narrowing onto him, you determined that while you could possibly get past him at your current strength it was apparent you wouldn’t get far if there were guards posted outside. Squinting to the headache of the situation, you sat back on the bed as you could hear the man let out a breath he had been holding. For the next hour, he performed several different tests to determine what condition your body was in. Poking and prodding you as he mumbled to himself and recorded the results. Growling at him when he got to more sensitive areas, he would hesitate before he explained what he was doing. You never like trusting doctors, even your few experiences with ones on Pandora were sketchy at best. After he had finished his work, he bid you farewell as he left the cell, leaving you all alone again.

The next few days were like clockwork as the doctor returned and ran his tests again before abruptly leaving. Boredom was starting to sink into you as you tried to keep yourself busy by rebuilding up your muscles with basic stretching and exercise routines in your limited space. When you laid down in your stiff bed your thoughts always turned to why Jack was keeping you alive. There was nothing you could possibly offer as information for him, you had come to Helios for personal reasons, nothing that would affect him or his company. As you questioned why you had even come here without a more solid plan, the door swiftly opened as two guards barged into the room. Before you could react, they had grabbed ahold of you as they forced you up and out of the cell. Fighting under their grasp, you could tell how weak you were comparatively from all your weeks of recovery. With ease, they brought you to a familiar metal room as they pushed you inside and locked the door behind them. The room was long cleaned of the blood you had spilt on its floor, letting out a heavy sigh you sat in one of the chairs. Waiting patiently, nothing seemed to happen as you were left alone in the room for several hours. Groaning, you laid your head against the cold metal table. What was the point of bringing you here if they were just gonna leave you alone?

“Sir, you need to-”

Shouting could be heard outside only to be silenced quickly as a loud _bang_ made you jump, the door opening to reveal Handsome Jack. Blood splattered onto his mask, he held a pistol in his hand as the barrel gave off a small smoke trail.

“Miss me kitten?”

Your body trembled slightly as you recalled the last time you saw Jack but you quickly made sure to correct that with the anger that consumed you. Sitting on the corner of the table, he crossed his leg as he lazily laid his hand over top, keeping the gun within your view.

“I meant to come sooner once I found out you had awakened but it seems my work is never done. You would think those idiots could go for a few hours without me but they constantly prove me wrong. But you must know how hard it is to find good help these days huh?”

“What do you want with me?”

“Good question. See I was thinking of using you for whenever I needed to destress after a long day. Your screams were quite delicious to hear but that made me curious. What else could I use to torment you, what would bring out nightmares that would make you beg for me to stop.”

Bringing his free hand up, he stroked the underside of his chin. A wicked smile crossed his features as he thought about all the devilish things he could do to hurt you.

“So that got me searching and I must say kitten, it was pretty hard to find anything about you. It wasn’t until my men found a certain bandit who had recently lost an eye scurrying about where he didn’t belong that he told me an interesting story about a ghost he was looking for.“

“Felix,” you growled.

“See at first I thought he was just trying to make up some story to save his sorry ass while my men beat the crap out of him but then he mentioned they were in possession of some stolen Hyperion codes. So I made him a deal, he told me everything about this ghost in exchange for letting him live for another day.”

Jack stood up as he made his way behind you. Unmoving, you didn’t turn to face him as he placed a hand on your shoulder.

“And oh boy, you wouldn’t believe the things he started to tell me. How they were responsible for the deaths of hundreds, brought misery to the planet for years, yada yada yada, all in the search for one individual, Dr. Cooper. Isn’t that right [Y/N]?”

Your muscles tensed when he said your name, regret instantly washing over you as you should have killed Felix when you had the chance. Now you had put Jenna in danger from your stupid mistake. Gritting your teeth, you could feel Jack give your shoulder a squeeze before letting go.

“Really I am surprised how you manage to stay under the radar from me for so long. It really explains a lot of reports in the past where those numbskulls couldn’t tell me who had attacked my outposts. I guess the nickname ghost really suits you.”

“What are you planning Jack?”

Suddenly your chair was pulled away from the table as you were forced to face Jack. With his arm outstretched onto the back of the chair, he loomed over you.

“Do you really have to ask? I don’t know what your deal is with Cooper but she is a brilliant scientist. Hate to see her go.”

“You wouldn’t,” your features darkened as he threatened to hurt Jenna.

“Oh pumpkin, of course I would. But here is the thing, I’ve had a change of heart. See if you want me to leave your precious doctor alone I am going to offer you a choice.”

Jack gave you a sly smirk as he leaned in closer to you, his face only inches away from yours as you let out a shaky breath. It was unnerving to be this close to him, you could see how flawless his face was as his striking mix-match eyes held your gaze.

“You work for me and follow my orders from now on. Else if you refuse,” a deep chuckle left his lips. “Well we do have the whole afternoon to ourselves now, I’m sure I can free up Dr. Cooper’s time so she can join us.”

It was hard to turn away from Jack, his eyes displayed how powerful and dangerous he was. He didn’t need to make empty threats, he was more than capable of bringing you the pain he alluded to by his own hand. A frown fell upon your lips as you closed your eyes briefly, you didn’t have a choice.

“Alright, I’ll do it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, thanks for taking the time to read. Please let me know of any errors or helpful criticism.


	4. Chapter 4

A mischievous smile spread across Jack’s features when you spoke. As he stood up, you finally felt the relief of not being imprisoned under his gaze. Quickly setting your eyes on the floor, your mind was overrun by emotions as the reality of the situation set in. Anger, disappointment, grief; It was hard to stop your body from trembling slightly. This was not how you wanted things to work out. Jack is a tyrant, as bloodthirsty as they come and now you would be trapped under his command.

“Good choice kitten. Now let’s get a move on.”

Jack’s voice startled you from your thoughts as you turned to see he had already made his way to the door, his arms folded in front of his chest as you sat there unmoving.

“Don’t tell me you already changed your mind.”

“No, I-”

“Then I said we are going.”

The way he spoke was ice cold, sending a small chill down your spine. A small taste of fear crept into your mind as you remembered all the stories of what he did to people who disobeyed. No, you couldn’t let yourself be afraid of Jack, you wouldn’t let him control you with that. Taking a deep breath, you calmed yourself before standing and joining him. He gave you a confident smirk as he led you out of the room. 

The two guards who had brought you here were standing just outside the door but your focus was on the body that was slumped on the wall. A stout-looking man in business attire laid there with a single bullet wound between his eyebrows as blood had seeped down his face. An instant reminder that Jack did not care for his employees, they were all replaceable in his eyes as you recalled that Jenna was one of them. He instructed his guards to clean up the mess while he walked down the hallway, stopping in front of a large protruding yellow terminal as it unfolded to his proximity. 

“We will fast travel up to my office. There are a few things we will need to do to get you set up for your new gig.” 

He reached a hand out towards you, hesitantly taking it as he pulled you in front of the terminal with his superior strength. You instinctively froze as his chest became flush against your back, his breath grazed your neck as he leaned in close. Entering a string of numbers into a keypad, the device sparked to life as light filled your vision. The sensation of the machine was foreign but you soon found yourself in a different hallway than before. You began to feel nauseous from the experience as Jack let go of you, noticing your discomfort.

“You’ll get used to it.”

Squirting your eyes, you bite back the temptation of sickness as you follow Jack. Passing a large desk, a lone woman sat behind it as she greeted Jack with a friendly smile until she turned to you. She stared at you with cold eyes, clearly giving you the impression that you were not welcome here. At the end of the corridor, a large door opened up as you stepped inside to Jack's office. The room was enormous as it was filled with Hyperion branding and a symmetrical water feature that led up to a raised platform but the thing you couldn't tear your eyes away from was the floor-to-ceiling window panes that showcased Pandora's moon, Elpis. 

“Welcome to my office kiddo. Make yourself comfy because you're gonna be spending a lot of time here from now on. Take it easy for a minute. Soak in the sights.” 

He walked past you as you continued to survey the room. There were numerous depictions of himself in the form of paintings and statues that littered the room. You wondered how anyone could stand seeing themselves everywhere but you remember that this was Handsome Jack. He wasn’t like you, he wanted to be known, wanted people to bask in his glory while you only wished to hide in the shadows. Walking up a small set of stairs, Jack had already taken a seat behind a large corporate desk located in the middle of the raise platform as you stood in front. 

“So ghost, we already established you work for me now and while I got lots of plans for us, we first need to build up your trust before we get to any fun stuff. Make sure you're loyal and what not.“

Leaning back, he placed his feet up on top of the desk as he addressed you.

“That being said, you’re gonna my bodyguard for now even though I don't really need one. Lucky you right? Get to see how Handsome Jack does his work up close and personal. We will see how you do with that first but as long as you do what I say we won't have any problems. Got that?”

“Sure Jack,” your gaze landed behind him back on Elpis. You had never seen the moon this close before. It glowed against the dark void of space as cracks sprawled in all directions on its surface. 

“Great. Now put these on.”

Suddenly your focus was back on Jack as he tossed something in your direction, catching it quickly to find it's was a duffle bag.

“What is this?”

“What does it look like? It's your new gear unless you want to keep looking like a dirty Hyperion criminal all the time. Can’t say I recommend the look for you though.”

Opening up the bag, you are greeted by a set of battle-ready gear. Mainly black in color but it held subtle highlights of the Hyperion yellow that this whole station was covered in. Looking around there room, you didn’t spot anywhere that you could change as you lifted an eyebrow to Jack.

“Where do you expect me to change?”

“Right where you're standing.”

“Your kidding right?”

“I think you're smart enough to know I'm not. So come on, I don’t have all day.”

Your eyes narrowed as he gave you his signature smirk, daring you to disobey his first command. You could feel the heat rise in your cheeks before you looked away and let out a deep sigh. Trying your best not to make a spectacle, you stripped down as you felt his gaze scour your body. It made you squirm as you quickly tried to cover yourself back up with the new gear. It was military grade though it wasn’t as heavy as the other sets you saw the guards wear. It would give you enough protection with freedom to move without being restricted.

“Ohh do I have good taste or what,” Jack stood up from his desk as he made his way around you, inspecting how form fitting the gear was on your silhouette. Folding your arms in front, you loathed how much he was trying to rile you up. Standing between you and the desk, he stopped as placed his hand out in front again.

“Hand kitten.”

You didn’t question it as you placed your hand in his. Pulling you closer to him, he placed an ECHO Band around your wrist.

“This is directly tied to me so don’t lose it. I message you if needed so I expect you to keep it on at all times.”

Without letting go, he turned your palm to face upwards as he reached back to his desk. Grabbing an odd looking gun, he placed the gun’s barrel into the center of your hand as he pulled the trigger. A sharp pain shot through your hand as you yelped and pulled your hand free.

“Ow, what the hell?”

“Don't be such a baby, it's just a Hyperion Personal Chip implant. Granted I modified it a bit in your case but it will allow you limited access to parts of Helios.”

Rubbing your palm, it ached at the intrusion of the chip but you noticed that the cut had already stopped bleeding.

“Now with that is out of the way, I got one last surprise for you.”

Jack procured a small briefcase as he sat on top of his desk. Opening the case towards you on his lap, it held five identical daggers. Spear shaped in design, their handles were wrapped in dark leather as their blades were purple in hue.

“Beautiful aren't they?” he purred.

Picking one up, you danced it around in your hand elegantly until it balanced perfectly on your finger tip. 

“What makes you think I won't just use these to kill you?”

“Oh you won’t. See if I die then you die too cupcake. After all, you wouldn't be a very good bodyguard otherwise.”

Setting the case aside, Jack stood up straight as he grabbed your hip and pulled you in his chest. Keeping you in place with his hand on the small of your back, his eyes were intense as he taunted you further.

“But there are a lot of nifty things I programmed into that chip of yours to keep you in check. Feel free to try if you want to figure them out.”

“I’ll pass.” You stiffed under his grasp, he was too close for your liking.

“Good. Now I got a few things to sort out so why don’t you go talk to my assistant outside and she will get you set up with your living arrangements. Tomorrow is gonna be a big day.”

He let you go as he took the dagger and placed it inside the case. Lifting the now closed case out, you hastily took it and made your way to the exit. Only when you heard the door close behind did you let out the breath you were holding. You didn’t know how you were gonna handle working for Jack if he was going to constantly tease and threaten to kill you. Maybe you should have never agreed to this but you quickly reminded yourself it was to keep Jenna safe.

Making your way back down the hallway, you stood in front of the desk you had previously exchanged glances with the assistant. She was still there as she was reviewing something on her computer console but as you waited in front of her patiently it was apparent that she was trying to ignore you.

“Hey.”

“What do you want?”

“Look, I don't know what your problem is but we are gonna be stuck with each other for awhile. Jack told me to talk to you about where I will be staying.”

“That's Handsome Jack to you.“

“Whatever, just tell me what I need to know.”

A heavy sigh left her lips as she clearly didn’t want you to stick around. “Fine, here is a keycard for your room and codes to use the fast travel to and from your quarters. He has instructed that you are back each morning at 6 a.m. so don’t be late.”

“Sure,” you rolled your eyes before heading back to the fast travel station. You could hear her stand as her chair rolled out a little and she placed her hands down on her desk.

“You might be working for him now but I have been here longer than you so I suggest you know your place and don't get close to him.”

Looking over your shoulder you couldn’t help but chuckle. “No need to be jealous, I’m only here for the job. Besides, you've been here longer than I have right? I’m sure if he wanted you he would already have claimed you by now.”

The state of shock on her face that instantly turned to anger was a real treat. You could see the gears in her head turning as she tried to come up with a witty remark only for you to quickly enter the code into the terminal and teleport away.

The hallway you stood in now was barren with lines of doors on each side painted with sequential number patterns. Looking at your key card, it displayed the pattern A01-C03 as you made your way down until you landed on a door marked the same. Standing in front, you noted a camera to your left that directly pointed at you, a red light on the side flashed as it indicated it was recording. Your shoulders slumped a bit as you swiped the card on the access panel that chimed to allow you entry. The quarters Jack had assigned you were moderately sized as the main area featured a small kitchenette and a sitting area. While the room off to the side held a queen sized bed and an adjusted bathroom with the basic amenities. Looking around you could see that the room was already stocked for your arrival as basic things like extra clothes, food, hygiene products were available. It wouldn’t surprise you if Jack knew you would have to say yes to his deal well in advance of you awaking in your cell. It was scary to think about how much he had planned but there wasn’t anything you could do at this point. Flopping onto the bed, you let yourself relax as your eyes became heavy from the emotional rollercoaster today has been. You could only hope tomorrow would be better. 

\--

Jack was always in his office when you showed up each morning. You contemplated if he never slept as he was regularly busy with different schemes and issues that needed his attention on a daily basis. The constant stream of timid employees that came to report to Jack were staggering. Those who came with good news would always try and grab some glimpse of praise from their idol while those who didn’t cowered in fear as Jack would often airlock them out into space for their mistake. It felt so exhausting just to be in close proximity to it all. Luckily he had brought you a chair closer to his desk that you faced out towards Elpis. Looking out into the darkness of space always seemed to put your mind at ease, that you were so insignificant in the grand scheme of it all. Juggling one of your new daggers, you were lost in thought till Jack slammed his fists onto the desk loudly.

“Ugh, those chode-face bastards really fucked up this time,” he pressed on a button before yelling into an adjacent speaker. “Meg! Get all the sales reps into the boardroom now. They have five minutes.”

He stood up from his desk as you turned your focus to him. Quickly pocketing your dagger, you waited for his command. 

“Let’s go kitten.”

He didn’t turn toward you but you could see the rage already darken his features as you followed him out of the office. Stepping into a crowded boardroom, all the employees look nervously at Handsome Jack as he walked to the head of the table. Placing his hands down on the surface, his gaze was still dangerous as he addressed the room.

“Now we are gonna make this quick. You're gonna tell me which one of you idiots thought it was a good idea to sell out-dated guns to the market as if they were new.“

The room stayed eerily silent as no one spoke up.

“Well? If no one speaks up I’m gonna have to assume all you slack-jawed morons are a part of it.”

“Sir, it was our newest intern that oversaw the transaction.”

The man who spoke up pointed to a meek looking kid that you recognized from being on the same space shuttle with you. He clearly was overwhelmed by the situation as he was being thrown under the bus.

“I- I was just following orders.”

Jack hummed as he turned back to the man who accused. “Well then, you are his superior in charge correct?”

“Yes sir.”

“That makes it your mistake too doesn’t it?”

“But sir he-”

“I don’t like you pointing fingers kiddo. Clearly this is your fault as well. Why don't we correct that for you.”

Jack gave you a side glance as you got the hint. Pushing off the wall you were leaning on, you let out a sigh as you stepped up behind the man. He went to push his chair away but instead you pushed it back into the table, trapping him. Grabbing his right hand you slammed it down on the table as he tried to pull away. Unable to escape, you took out one of the daggers as you spread out his fingers before decisively removing his pointer finger. He cried out in pain as people in the room gasped in hush tones. Jack's face showed a devilish smirk as he approved your action.

“That's better. Next time you better not let this happen under your watch,” Jack visibly relaxed before he set his sights back on the young intern. “As for you, I don’t have time to deal with people who can’t figure out simple mistakes. Kitten, kill him.”

“Jack.”

“Did I stutter?”

His gaze snapped to you with annoyance in his eyes, you couldn’t help but snarl back in response. Heat erupted through your body as your blood boiled thinking about how Jack was gonna make you do his dirty work now. Your grip tightened on the blade's handle as you gritted your teeth. This was an order from Jack, there was nothing you could do for the kid, Jenna came first. After your mind raced thought your decision, the dagger flew from your hands as it landed straight into the kid’s skull where he promptly fell over dead. Whatever reaction the crowd had did not register to you as your chest heaved heavily from the anger that built up inside you. 

“Everyone out,” Jack’s voice dripped venom as the employees scrambled to leave the room. Leaving you there alone with Jack, your eyes met with his as he marched up to you. Pushing you up against the wall harshly, he placed his dominant hand over your throat as he squeezed slightly.

“I don’t like your hesitation ghost.”

“And I don’t want to do your dirty work.”

“That's too bad because you're mine now cupcake. You don’t question what I tell you to do, got it?”

You growled at him as his grip tightened on your neck.

“Got it?”

“Y- yes sir.”

Letting go, you gasped lightly for air as you rubbed your neck to soothe the unpleasant soreness from his grip. Turning your focus back to Jack, he was already making his way to the door before he stopped and looked over his shoulder back at you. 

“You're dismissed for now, I suggest you take some time to think about if Dr. Cooper is important enough to risk disobeying me again.”

\--

It had been several days since Jack told you not to return to the office, only leaving you a message that he will let you know when to come back to work. At first you kept to yourself in your apartment as you practiced your combat skills but you soon got bored of waiting around. You began to wander the hallways of Helios, find all the places that the chipped stopped you from entering. Each time you would get close to a door, a small electric shock would radiant up your arm as a warning not to go any further. Your arm began to tingle from all the shocks when you finished your survey to find the only areas you could access consisted of the floor your quarters was on and the small courtyard below. Sitting at a bar in the lower courtyard, you were glad that Jack at least had the decency to give you access to some credits so you could buy a few drinks. 

Taking another healthy swig of your beer, your thoughts were plagued by Jack. There was no purpose to his madness, all the things he did only stirred up more chaos and destruction around him. He often told you how he would bring peace to Pandora and even the universe but you couldn’t care less about his conquest. You agreed that the planet was filled with nothing but despicable bandits but to want to save the planet? It was far too late for that. And where did that leave you huh? Stuck to his whim as he would use you to help further his plans. This was only the beginning and it was already a mess. Fate was always so cruel to you even when you weren’t on Pandora.

A scowl was visible on your face as your dark demeanor scared anyone away. You could hear people ideally whisper as they tried to point you out to others among the crowded bar. For anyone who was brave enough to get closer you met them with a menacing glare that would instantly make them flinch and retract away. It was the best that nobody gets close, you weren’t here to make friends, hell you wouldn’t even know how to make one since you've been alone since Jenna was taken. Finishing off your beer, your ECHO Band began to vibrate as its display lit up. Tapping on the screen, a message from Jack appeared.

_Come to my office._

Groaning, you struck the counter with your forehead as a few patrons jumped in surprise from your action. Paying your tab, you left the bar as you found your way to the closest fast travel station. When you arrived the floor was already dark as all the employees had left for the day allowing you to take your time to walk into Jack’s office. He sat in his chair like always hunched over some paperwork as you approached, not acknowledging you presence as you stood there silently in front of him. Arms crossed, you looked past him towards Elpis; Gods did you miss this view. Lost in thought, your world swayed slightly as you regained your balance. 

Jack lifted an eyebrow as he saw you stagger, “You've been drinking?”

“And if I was?”

He gave a small chuckle, “It’s gonna make having a serious conversation about your previous actions harder.”

“I don’t think you need to worry about that. We both know I’m not in a situation to negotiate.”

“Maybe so, but that doesn’t mean you should hate working for me.”

“Pretty sure that is a part of being used and manipulated to kill for you.”

“Come on [Y/N], give me some slack here. Can’t you see I’m trying to make you happier.” 

“If you wanted to make me happy you would let me see Dr. Cooper.”

“Oh? And why do you want to see her so bad?”

“She's m-,” you cut yourself off instantly. Shit this was bad, you couldn’t tell Jack who Jenna is. You cursed under your breath at the regret of all the drinks you had before coming here. 

Jack hummed lightly but you were thankful he didn’t push the conversation. Instead moving his chair out slightly from his desk as he turned it to the side.

“Come here kitten.”

Finding yourself already walking towards him before your brain had a chance to comprehend, you stood in front of him. It had been a while since you had to look Jack directly in his mix-matched eyes, you almost forgot how daunting they were. They always seemed to stop you from moving under their gaze but yet you got the feeling like you never wanted them to look away. As you stood there stunned Jack grabbed your wrist, twisting your body before pulling you down into his lap. 

“Jack what are you-”

“Just relax cupcake. I won’t do anything. Unless you want something to happen.”

His arms wrapped around your midsection as he pulled you in closer to his chest. His body heat radiated onto your back as his chin found your shoulder as a perch. His breath kissed over your exposed skin as gently held you in his grasp. At first you panicked from the intimacy but as you focused on his calm breathing you couldn’t help but feel yourself fall into the same rhythm. 

“That's it. It’s ok. I forgive you [Y/N]. Just promise me ok? Promise you listen from now on.”

You could feel the light hum vibrate from his chest that sent a small shiver down your spine. Whether it be from his alluring presence or the amount of alcohol you consumed, you felt yourself melt in his arms as his words sounded as smooth as honey. Taking a deep breath in, you knew that even if you were ensnared under his control you might as well make the best out of it.

“Yah, I won’t hesitate next time.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, thanks for taking the time to read. Please let me know of any errors or helpful criticism.  
> \--  
> Starting to notice I have a pattern of ending chapters/sections on one liners.


	5. Chapter 5

Time passed rather slowly working for Jack as each day felt longer than the last. He kept you confined to his side which oftentimes left you just sitting around as he addressed the never ending tasks of being a CEO. Laying your head against the cold glass that separated you from the void of space, you were still contemplating why Jack bothered to kept you alive. While he did continue to try and get under your skin with the constant teasing and being obsessively handsy it was clear that he didn’t need a bodyguard. Honestly you were pretty sure the highlight of his day was getting his hands dirty and tormenting whatever poor soul happened to be in his way. Following him to different meetings and required appearances around Helios, you kept to the corners of rooms. Out of the way from prying eyes as the employees ignored your presence, clearly blinded by Handsome Jack and his egocentric charm. You were a nobody again and it was comforting in a way, your place had always been to be out of the spotlight, hidden among the shadows and Jack knew that all too well.

Over time you began to make ‘house calls’ to different departments as he liked to joke. Sending you to covertly intimidate or dispatch someone without being seen. Jack would often boast to you about your ghost title and how he was going to make use of it but the more missions he sent you on the more you questioned why. What would he gain to change his tactics of killing people publicly for their failures? Wouldn’t it just lessen the effect of his threatening reputation? But then you started to notice it. How people started to check over their shoulders more often, skeptical at every dark shadow, worried that they would be next. These people lived in constant fear, working harder than ever before to please their masters and ensure they lived till the next day.

It wasn’t until you were assigned to kill a scientist that was falling behind on his progress reports that you sought the opportunity to search more of the Research & Development department. Trapping the sniveling man in a maintenance closet, you took your time with his execution as he begged for his life. Offering a small sliver of hope, he quickly divulged the information that there were several different sectors in R&D and while he didn’t know Dr. Cooper personally, he exclaimed she was well known within the sectors for her recent breakthroughs. A smile crossed your face, it was reassuring to know that Jenna was still alive and on the station but you still had to follow Jack’s orders. Ending his life with a single strike, you left his body laying there as you returned to Jack's office only to be met by a sharp pain in your palm that held the embedded chip. It radiated from the center before engulfing your arm as you fell to your knees. Clutching your arm tightly, you hissed as the sound of blatant footsteps drew closer. Jack tilted your chin upwards towards him, a scowl set upon his features as his eyes borrowed into you.

“I didn’t say you could talk to him now did I kiddo?”

Your eye widened slightly as the excruciation continued further as your chest burned from the sensation, “J-jack, it hurts.”

“Your job is to follow what I tell you to do. If I wanted information from him I would have asked. But I didn’t, did I?”

It was becoming hard to breath, as if Jack’s hand was around your throat without him having to lift a finger.

“I asked you a question pumpkin.”

“No, you didn’t.”

“Good. Now that we cleared that up, what are you gonna do about it?”

“It won’t h-happen again.”

“I know it won’t.”

Your breath hitched as the pain was suddenly released, Jack had started to walk back to his desk as you stood clenching your arm while your muscles spasmed from the torment. Glaring at him, you snarled silently before leaving his office and making your way back to your apartment. It turned out to be a poor choice as when you wanted to go and drown your anger with another night of alcohol you quickly found out he had disabled your access, leaving you trapped with no way out. Cursing Jack, you flopped onto the bed as your thought wondered to how he was the only thing that stood in your way to finding Jenna. The frustration was eating you alive as you became bitter the more you thought about it.

It was three days till Jack allowed you out and back to work, but the lingering numbness in your arm took much longer. From the early mornings until the late hours of the evening, you followed his commands without question. Life became predictable as you spent any spare time drinking away your misery.

Frequenting the bar so much, they began to keep a secluded booth open just for you. Never questioning why, you figured that maybe it was to keep you away from the other patrons or maybe they somehow knew you were a pet of Handsome Jack. Whatever the case maybe be at the very least they knew you were good for the money as they continue to keep you well supplied with booze. Taking a seat, they served your usual choice of drink before quickly leaving you alone. You never made small chat as you downed your glass only to have a fresh one placed in front of you. Turning to see a younger lad, he was a taller figure with short spiky blond hair as he gave you a small smile before taking the seat across from you.

“Seems you were due for another drink.”

You huffed in responded before eyeing the drink and taking a heavy swig.

“I see you come here often but you're always alone. Figured maybe you could use some company for a change.”

“Not interested.”

“Well maybe I can change your mind. I’m Travis, I work in the weapon’s design facility.”

Your eyes narrowed onto him, “If you've been watching me then you know I'm not here to make conversation. I suggest you leave.”

“A solid suggestion but we all could use friends here. Helios is tough enough as it is and I can’t imagine what it feels like to be stuck here alone all the time. Must really wear on a person.”

He was right, it did suck. Jack didn’t allow you to talk to anyone while you worked. Even if you were used to being alone, there was a limit to how isolated a person could be. Maybe having someone to talk to on the outside would be good but a bitter taste hit your tongue as you thought of all the things Jack was capable of doing if he found out.

“It’s dangerous to be my friend.”

“Well I have survived a long time here. Pretty sure I can handle some danger,” he gave you another smile as he lifted his own drink outwards.

At least you tried to warn the kid, it didn’t seem like he was gonna take no for an answer as you lifted your own till the glasses clinked together. Spending the evening with Travis, you talked on various topics. He would tell you random experiences he had on Helios and mentioned the few encounters he had with Handsome Jack. He was absolutely shocked at the lack of movies and music you didn’t know but the thing you liked most was he never questioned about your position in Helios nor where you came from. It was refreshing that he seemed to genuinely focus on being in the moment and enjoying each others company. After several rounds of drinks, you figured it was time to call it a night before you were too drunk for what Jack had planned for you tomorrow. As you said your goodbye and started to head out, you could hear Travis call out behind you.

“Oh, I never caught your name.”

Turning back you looked at him as you contemplated your options. Whenever people asked you that before you always made a fake name to hide your identity but you quickly question if that was necessary. Being on Helios wasn’t the same as Pandora, you didn’t need to worry about who was hunting you down or someone spreading information. Your life only revolved around doing Jack’s bidding for the moment. Taking a small inhale, you felt the warm sensation of alcohol run through your body before you smile slightly at Travis.

“It’s [Y/N].”

\--

Today you sat outside Jack’s office as he instructed you to wait for the representatives that Maliwan was sending for a new negotiation. It was an uncomfortable experience as Jack’s personal assistant continued to glare in your direction as you sat silently in one of the reception chairs. Eyes closed, you tried your best to ignore her till the chime of the elevator brought your focus forward. Two men dressed in fancy business attire with their hair slicked back stepped out, the first stood with more confidence in his stride as the other smaller man trailed behind. Clearly figuring only one was in charge, you firmly addressed him.

“From the Maliwan Corporation I assume?”

“That’s correct,” his smile but you didn’t return the favor.

“If you would follow me then.”

Leading them down a small hallway to a conference room, you closed the door behind as they settled in the room. The smaller man took a seat quickly, pulling out various paper work from his briefcase as the other one stood tall looking over you with peering eyes. You could feel his gaze trail up and down your body as you ignored him and stood close to the doorway with your back leaning against the wall.

“I got to ask, what’s a doll like you working for Hyperion?”

Your eye quickly darted to the man as he gave you a cheeky smirk.

“I mean they got it right with the outfit there honey but really you could do much better right? Just running escort for a simple business meeting? You really look like you are meant for greater things. Ever consider working for someone else?”

A small chuckle fell on your lips, you didn’t want to be here no matter what company it was. “Sorry I work for Handsome Jack only.”

“Ah I see, it must be easy when you're a lap dog for the company right?”

Instantly anger filled you as you glared at the man only for his smirk to stretch farther across his face. You could feel the heat rise in your body as you tried to mask your emotions but it seemed he was catching on quickly to your ticks.

“Jack really must know how to pick them because I bet his dick fits real good between those plump lips of yours.”

Without warning, you rushed forward as you gripped his shirt hard. Throwing him into the closest wall, you growled as you stared daggers into him. He yelped slightly before his arrogant smug look took over his face again which only aggravated you further. Reaching for one of your knifes, you were stopped by a voice behind you.

“Am I interrupting something?”

Quickly turning back towards the door, you could see Handsome Jack standing there with his arms crossed. Letting go, you stood there for a moment before moving to stand beside him, “No.”

The man quickly straightened his attire, “Tsk. You think Hyperion escorts would have some manners.”

Another low growl left your lips as you kept your back to him. A hand landed on your shoulder as it squeezed tightly.

“Will talk later pumpkin.”

\--

Sitting at the bar, the events with Maliwan kept replaying in your head. The audacity that they suggested you were sexually involved with Jack made you enraged with no end. Your thoughts intensified as your grip tightened on your glass till cracks formed before shattering forcefully. Sighing heavily, the staff quickly cleaned up the mess as you laid your head into your hands.

“Seems like you're having a rough night [Y/N],” looking up you could see Travis as he gave you a concerned look.

“You could say that.”

“Want to talk about it?” he sat in the opposite seat as the server set down a new drink for you.

“No. Easier to forget than to relive.”

“Fair enough but I would be open if you want someone to vent to.”

There was so much built up frustration that you wish you could expose. That you weren’t able to continue your search for Jenna, how Jack just used you as a pawn to kill and control everyone with fear, how that Maliwan bastard should have died but these were all your secrets. It wasn’t safe to tell them to anyone, it would only spell trouble if Travis knew.

“Just that my boss is the worst.”

“I think everyone here could relate to that.”

You couldn’t help but smile at that, “maybe but I’m pretty confident that he would win the competition.”

“Hmm, well the way I see it as long as you're not dead or working directly under Handsome Jack we got it pretty easy.”

You didn’t comment on that, only taking a heavy swig from your drink.

“So, have you ever used a gun [Y/N]?”

“Um yah, why do you ask?” you gave him a quizzical look.

“Well I just figured since I have never seen you dressed like us desk jockeys that being in military-style gear must mean you work in security right?”

“Something like that.”

“Have you ever been to Pandora?”

“What's up with all the questions?”

“Just looking for a topic to keep you distracted from your troubles.”

Bring the glass back up your lips you sighed slightly, “yah I’ve been there.”

“Really? Is it as bad as they say?”

“Worse. There wasn’t a day that went by that the corruption of that planet seeped into every moment. Psychos and bandits plague the land and each one that I killed there deserved it and more.”

“Wow. You must be pretty badass.”

Travis stared at you with a glint of awe in his eye as you froze for a second. “I-It’s really nothing. Only did what I needed to do in order to survive.”

“I’m sure that’s not the case. We have only been friends for a little while now but I can tell you could hold your own when push comes to shove.”

If he only knew the truth to that, “What about you?”

“Me? On Pandora? Oh no, I never stepped off Helios since I arrived. Don’t get me wrong I know how to use a gun but I specialize in designing them not using them.”

That didn’t surprise you, the only Hyperion employees that stepped a foot on the planet’s surface were scientists and military personnel. A normal employee like Travis wouldn’t be granted the opportunity to go even if he wanted to.

“But next time I’ll have to remember to bring a ECHO Pad with me. I’m sure you would have some really valuable input on a few of my prototypes. You know, give me some tips on what would actually be helpful in the field.”

Contemplating his words, maybe you could help the kid out with a few pointers. After all he seemed pretty alright as far as Hyperion workers go.

“Yah, I probably could do that.”

\--

Your days stayed pretty consistent as you continued to work under Jack’s authority and met with Travis later at the bar. As promised he brought you some schematics he was working on as he proudly showed you what it all meant. His latest work involved a new shotgun that seemed to be too powerful for the average user to wield as the kickback would send the gun flying out of their hands, leaving most with a shiny black eye. He seemed really passionate for his work as you quietly listened to him ramble on. Giving him feedback on a few questions, it was nice to have something else to hear than the constant rants from Jack.

It wasn't until one night as you heading back to the bar, you received a message from Jack to return to his office. Without thinking, you quickly made your way there to find the room was dark with the only light source that illuminated your surroundings being the vibrant glow from Elpis. Jack stood in front of his desk as the sounds of muffled crying echoing in the room.

“Ah there you are. I knew you wouldn’t be long.”

“What do you need Jack?”

“I got a little problem I need you to fix kitten.”

Stepping out of the way, Jack revealed a man kneeling down with his arms bound to his sides as tape covered his mouth. His blond hair was stained with streaks of red as tears filled his eyes when they met yours. You watched as Travis tried to struggle against his bonds till Jack grabbed a fist full of his hair making him stop.

“What is the meaning of this?” your gaze darkened.

“Well my ghost seems to think it was ok to get close to someone without my permission. Kinda breaks the whole reason for being a ghost don’t you think?”

“He didn’t do anything. Just let him go.”

“Not till we settle some things first.”

Jack sharply removed the tape as the kid whimpered, “please sir, I-I didn’t know. Please, please [Y/N] tell him.”

“He isn’t anything Jack.”

“Nothing huh? Doesn’t seem that way to me. You just don’t give your name out to nobodies.”

Gritting your teeth, you turned your head to the side knowing Jack was right. It was a mistake to let Travis get close to you, even if he didn’t know your dark secrets. You knew from the start that this would happen, Jack controlled everything about you so why would getting to know Travis be any different.

“See [Y/N], I thought you would have been smart enough to figure out you can’t hide anything from me. We have a reputation to uphold after all but then you went ahead and ruined it by sharing your name with this pip-squeak.”

Pulling back tightly on Travis' hair, the kid tried to stifle a cry of pain. Turning your gaze back onto Jack, his eyes pierced into you as a smirk crossed his lips.

“But you've been so good lately that I’ve decided to forgive your mistake so long as you keep listening to me.”

Jack held out a pistol in front as Travis began to shake violently. Stepping forward till you stood in front of Jack squarely, your eyes never wandered from each other.

“Clean up your mess pumpkin,” his words were ice cold as they registered in your mind.

Eyeing the pistol, you took it into your own hands as you turned off the safety and slowly drew it towards Travis. His eyes were filled with fear as he gazed up at you, sending a ping of grief through your body. This was your fault, the kid didn’t deserve this, if only you had been smart enough to push him away this would have never happened. Adjusting your grip on the gun lightly, you kept your aim steady as Travis began to beg.

“Please, p-please don’t do this.”

It hurt but you tried your best to not show your weakness, that would only make it worse. A small smile curled from your lips as you tilted your head to the side.

“I told you didn’t I? It’s dangerous to be my friend.”

The sound of the gun firing rang through the room as Travis now laid motionless on the floor. Taking small breaths, you focused on stopping your body from trembling as Jack kept his gaze on you.

“Much better. See that wasn’t so-”

“I didn’t break any of your rules,” your eye never left Travis' body as you could hear Jack hum from your statement.

“I supposed I didn’t state it out loud but you know better than that don’t you? If you were lonely you could have just told me.”

“And why the hell would I want to spend any more time with you?”

Harshly, Jack grabbed your arm as he tossed you towards his desk. Tripping over the corpse, your back collided with the desk’s surface as he quickly pinned your arms above your head. His weight pressed down as you struggled against him. Keeping you firmly beneath him, you growled as your eyes met again.

“Because your mine kitten and I am the only thing that matters.”

Without warning, his lips crashed upon yours as you froze underneath him. They felt hot to the touch even through the mask covering his face as he demanded your attention. His grip tightened on your wrists that made you gasp slightly, giving him the opportunity to explore your mouth. Dazed, you tried your best to ignore the growing heat in your stomach while he continued his assault. It wasn’t until he released your lips that you let out a shaky breath as he gave you a devilish grin.

“I expect you to know your place now [Y/N].”

Letting go, he stood up before exiting the office leaving you alone in the darkened room. Sitting on the desk, you rubbed your wrists from the ache trying to process everything that just happened. Waves of different emotions washed over you but it was hard to focus on just one, it was all too much. You could feel yourself begin to break as for the first time in a long while, tears ran down your cheeks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, thanks for taking the time to read. Please let me know of any errors or helpful criticism.


	6. Chapter 6

Travis death played heavy on your mind but you could fathom why. Killing people had never been an issue before, it didn't matter if they were some filthy bandit or heartless employee so why did this bother you so much? Knowing the kid for only a short time you didn’t realize how much comfort you felt in his presence till it was gone. How he eased your mind to the constant chaos for just a moment, reminding you that not everyone was a monster. But you let your guard down only for Jack to exploit your new weakness and destroy any small assemblance of peace you had. This shouldn’t have affected you, these emotions should have been long numb over the years so why did your heart hurt so much.

In a fit of rage, you throw the glass you were holding into the wall as you breathed heavily. Standing in the middle of your destroyed apartment, glass, wood and metal was strewn in all directions as furniture laid shattered on the ground. The place was in complete havoc, as if a wild animal had been let loose and its wrath was unleashed. That’s what you were right? Just some sort of creature that was caged with no freedoms, forced to obey your master’s command. Your lips snarled as they recalled the fiery sensation of Jack’s kiss. A mixture of hatred, anguish and passion that burned but still left them craving more. Sliding down the wall, you cradled your head in your palms. All the emotions that stirred inside you were overwhelming, this wasn’t what you wanted, why did you ever let Jack control you, if only you had been strong enough to save Jenna all those years ago this wouldn’t have happened. Sitting among the debris, you stayed unmoving as your thoughts continued to plague you.

Returning to Jack’s office, the body had long been gone and the blood cleaned from the floor but your vision flashed back to the event. Imagining Jack towered over you after you were soaked in blood from your latest victim sent a single shiver down your spine. Hatred consumed your very essence as you crossed the room till you landed in your appointed seat. Arms folded in front, you didn’t acknowledge Jack as his heavy gaze fell upon you. Neither saying a word, he redirected his attention back to his work as the silence was deafening but not unwelcome. You didn’t know how long you stayed like that till Jack let out a heavy sigh, placing the paperwork he was reviewing down onto his desk.

“Come on pumpkin, you need to relax. I can hear you grinding your teeth from here.”

“I’m good thanks.”

“Are you sure? Because if looks could kill, I'm sure the next sorry bastard to step into my office would be dead within a heartbeat.”

“Just leave me alone Jack.”

“Yah not happening. You need to lighten up.”

Turning to gaze out the window, your lips curled downwards as you heard Jack push out his chair. Standing in front of you, he placed his hands on his hips.

“You're starting to bum me out cupcake. Hard to get work done if you're just gonna sulk around so we are gonna need to fix that.”

“Sorry, must be a real inconvenience.”

Jack’s eye narrowed slightly at your mocking tone as you were pretty sure he was about to deal some sort of punishment till he spun around quickly heading towards the door.

“Let’s get a move on. The faster we address your little attitude the faster I can get some real work done.”

Ah so he didn’t want to bloody his office again you thought, best to just get it over with. Following behind him, he led you through a maze of Helios corridors and elevators until you entered a large lab filled with employees busy working.

“Jenkins,” Jack’s voice echoed through the room as everyone stopped dead in their tracks and were now looking at him in fear. An older scientist stepped out from the crowd as she bowed towards Jack.

“Handsome Jack sir, we were not expecting you.”

“Duh dum-dum, get all your newest prototypes that are ready in the range in five- no make that two minutes.”

“Of course. Right away.”

Quickly the once stunned employees started to run around frantically as Jack left the chaotic scene into a adjacent room outfitted with equipment for a shooting range.

“What are we doing here?” you asked.

“Nothing works better to release stress than shooting something. Well that and sex.”

Lifting an eyebrow towards you, his signature smirk crossed his features as you felt yourself heat up a little up in his words. Cursing yourself, you quickly returned a frown as Jack chuckled from your reaction.

“Figured this way we can kill two birds with one stone by reviewing what these idiots have been working on.”

Before you could answer, the door quickly reopened as a small wave of employees entered and placed a few different weapons out on the counter before scurrying out. The main scientist from before stayed behind as she gestured to the arsenal.

“Everything here is ready for your approval sir. If you have any questions-”

“Yah yah, just sit there quietly before I decide that I want some live targets to test on.”

Surveying over the different prototypes, Jack picked up a sleek looking pistol as he lifted the gun towards a stationary target. The way that he stood radiated power and expertise that would scare any poor soul at the end of his crosshair. It was hard to turn your gaze away when he pulled the trigger and grinned wickedly.

“Oh ho ho, that’s got a nice kick to it,” he turned as he tossed the gun towards you. “Come on [Y/N], give it a shot.”

Catching it with ease, you stepped up to stand beside Jack as he crossed his arms in front of his broad chest. Aiming down the sight, the gun was heavy in your hands as you held a deep breath and pulled the trigger. The gun pushed back in your tight grip, not enough to make you drop it before you adjusted quickly and pulled the trigger again. Both shots were critical hits on the target but you noted that the second shot had landed farther down than you had intended.

“Seems a little top heavy. It helps with the kick back but unless you're trying to copy Jakobs it will be difficult to continuously aim accurately.”

Jack hummed in agreement beside you as Jenkins quickly wrote down your comment. One after another, Jack handed you different weapons to try and asked for your feedback. You hate to admit it but he was right, this was really therapeutic as you continued to unleash clip after clip down the shooting range. Lastly, he handed you a SMG that looked pretty similar to other Hyperion weapons you had wielded before. Taking a few shots, nothing seemed different or unique about its properties.

Lifting an eyebrow you turned towards Jenkins, “what’s special about this one?”

“Ah, that is one of the models that is reconfigured to be outfitted with technology similar to the Tediore reload system.”

Realizing the reload system she was alluding to, you quickly finished off the remaining clip and tossed the gun down the range. On impact, it bounced around wildly as it sprayed bullets in every direction before it denoted in one last explosion. Waiting a moment, you looked down at your now empty hand.

“Umm isn’t it supposed to rematerialize?”

“I- Well yes. We will have to do some further testing to see-”

“Ugh, what am I paying you knuckleheads for. Couldn’t even figure out how to reverse engineer a simple Tediore weapon. Tediore for fuck sakes.” Jack was clearly unimpressed as he grabbed your hand and started marching towards the doorway. “The next time I come down here, you better have it figured it out. Else I’m gonna have to replace you all with people that aren’t stupider than those skag shits at Tediore.”

“Of course sir. I will personally see to it.”

Jack didn’t stop his track back through the lab as employees flinched out of the way. Letting him lead you back into the elevator, he only let go when the door had finally shut and the lift began to move. Standing beside him quietly, you knew that it was best not to interact with Jack when his mood turned sour.

“Feeling better pumpkin?”

“Ah yah. It was... helpful.”

“Good, I told you it would. Now let’s get something to eat before we head back to the office. I need something tasty after dealing with those idiots.”

\--

For the most part things were back to how they originally were. Returning to your apartment, you found it completely restored as it troubled you that Jack somehow found out that you had trashed the place without telling him. Everyday he continued to send you on various tasks as you kept your emotions locked away, determined to not let them overwhelm you again. You allowed yourself to become numb as the only time you had difficulties keeping your composer was when you visited the bar. No matter the amount of alcohol you consumed you couldn’t get rid of the images of Travis’ cold dead eyes staring back at you. Being there only reminded you of him sitting in the opposite side of the booth as he told you random stories. You started to lessen your frequency to the courtyard as you desperately wanted to avoid those memories. The only issue being that since you were now sober all the time you became more irritable, your kills began to get messier as you took your frustrations out on your victims. Jack had unmistakably noticed as you showed back up to his office with more blood on your outfit each day.

This time though you had made a mistake and allowed a secretary to walk into the office while you were finishing up your latest kill. Security was called as you were dragged away up to Jack’s office.

“You're getting sloppy.”

“Sorry Jack.”

“Sorry isn’t good enough, pumpkin. Lucky this time I could fix your mistake before anyone else found out but we can’t let this happen again.”

“I know. I’ll make sure it doesn’t.”

“And how do you plan to do that huh? Seems to me ever since you stopped drinking your problems away you are struggling to come to terms with reality. Is it really that frightening to you?"

“I-” You didn’t know how to answer that. Were you scared? Waking up in cold sweats every night, your mind was plagued by the thoughts of maybe you never would find Jenna, knowing that you couldn’t escape Jack.

“[Y/N], I know you well enough to see that this little problem isn’t gonna go away but you don’t have to worry your pretty little head. Jack’s got your answer right here.”

Standing in front of you, Jack lifted your hand as he turned your palm upwards and placed something in the center. Looking down at the object in question, you found a pill filled with shimmering purple liquid that swirled inside with different shades.

“What is this?”

“I had this created to help you out. Keep you focused and in tip-top shape. The results so far have been very promising.”

“I don’t want to take your experimental drugs.”

“Did I say you had a choice?” growling lowly, his features darkened at his words.

Meeting his eyes, you tried to hold your ground under his unforgiving glare, a silent battle that raged between the two of you as you fought for dominance. Killing for Jack was one thing but injecting your body with a foreign substance seemed to cross the line. There was no telling what it would do based on the vague information he was providing you.

“Jack-”

“I’m waiting ghost.”

Gritting your teeth, you felt caged once again to his will, leaving you with no options. Reluctantly placing the pill inside your mouth, you swallowed harshly as Jack watched you closely.

“That’s my girl. Should kick in pretty quick so you let me know when you're ready.”

He wasn’t lying as you started to feel warmth spread across your body. At first it felt light and feathery but soon webbed out through your veins as the heat intensified. Not enough to burn but the sensation was fierce as if raw energy was coursing through you. If you had to explain the feeling it was refreshing, invigorating and maybe even pleasurable. Flexing your hands to the sudden strength and looking back at Jack in surprise he flashed you a coy smile.

“Feels good right?”

“Better than good. What is this stuff?”

“That’s a little secret but don’t worry I’m sure we will get a lot of use from it.”

Reaching out he lightly gripped your arm, his touch sent hot sparks down your skin, all your senses heightened from whatever the drug was doing to affect your body. He leaned in closer until his lips grazed ever so close to your neck, blood was pumping loudly in your ears as trembled to his touch. His breath brushed over your skin as you tried to control your reactions only to have the drug override your wishes. A gasp left your lips as he nibbled softly at the space between your shoulder and neck, the heat inside you pooled to where he connected with your skin. After a few tender moments, he pulled away as he smirked at the mark now left behind. When his eyes met yours it was like you were seeing them again for the first time, how commanding and striking they were that it left you frozen under their gaze.

“Now why don’t you go have fun and come find me when you're done pumpkin.”

His words sounded like a sweet melody as your mind raced too fast to form a response. Only acknowledging him with a nod, you headed back out into the depths of Helios. You didn’t know what exactly was happening but you felt better than you had in years. It was as if you were one with the will of the universe, the dark shadows that lingered were an extension of yourself. Stalking through the station, you were unknown to all as each kill was calculated and precise. The only evidence of your existence was the now still bodies you left behind as you swiftly moved on to your next assigned task. Before you knew it, you had completed everything as you returned to Jack hoping that he would have some more requests for you to take care.

Each morning when you arrived, Jack provided you with another pill as you quickly consumed it and the familiar warmth taking over you once more. He would leave you wordless as his small touches agonized your body and the drug's effects kicked in. You wondered if at some point your body would become accustomed to the sensation but each time felt as raw as the last. The ritual quickly became what you looked forward to each day, continuing to follow Jack’s requests without question as he gave you praise.

Late into the evening, the heat had long faded from your veins as you sat in Jack’s office. Your mind felt at ease after another successful day of completing your assignments. Jack was fully concentrated over a new set of reports as your gaze naturally followed the sharp features of his face. Perfection was the only word that came to mind as you highlighted the slight color change from the mask to his natural skin.

“Pack a bag tonight kitten, tomorrow we are gonna take a little trip.”

Pulled out of your daze, you notice that Jack was now focused on you. “You mean we are leaving the station?”

“That’s right. I got some work that I need your help with. Think you can handle that?”

“Of course Jack”

“I knew I could count on you. Now go get some sleep. Tomorrow is gonna be a big day.”

Returning to your apartment, you laid down on your bed as you thought about what tomorrow might bring. Jack was allowing you to accompany him off the station, just how long have you been here now anyways? Recalling all your adventures on Pandora it felt like a distant past, something you even question had happened. Your place was here, Jack gave you purpose. No more wandering around the wastes aimlessly chasing after memories that haunted you. Finally you had clear goals that gave you instant gratification with his praise. A smile fell on your lips as you curled up quietly and drifted to sleep.

\--

Landing on Pandora, you instantly missed being on Helios. The air here was stale and dry that threatened to choke you with the lingering stench of death. Several military personnel exited the craft with you as the vast desert spanned out in all directions, it was quiet until the low rumble echoed from above. Moonshots from Helios rained down to the surface as it unloaded a number of supply crates, military vehicles and loader bots for the mission ahead. Outfitting yourself with some basic equipment, Jack also handed you a ECHOnet earpiece and a small jamming signal device in your hands. Once everyone was ready, the well equipped convoy drove for several hours till it stopped at the edge of a narrow canyon. Peering over the edge, a ramshackle outpost was hidden away below as you spotted several bandits keeping a perimeter outside. Jack instructed his troops to surround the area as you were sent with a few personnel to ascend down to the floor below.

 _“Can you hear me cupcake?”_ Jack’s voice ringed out from the earpiece as you lifted a hand up to your ear.

“Loud and clear.”

_“Good. I want you to get into the main building in the middle of camp. Plant the device and wait for my orders.”_

“Sure thing.”

_“Make me proud.”_

Your blood hummed at the anticipation of making Jack happy. The drug was in full effect as you stealthy moved from rock to rock, getting closer to the encampment without being spotted. The bandits that were watching the area were on edge but you noted how stiff they were. It was easy to predict where they were looking, exploiting their blind spots as you made your way past. Quietly vaulting over the makeshift wall, you landed gracefully as a small cloud of dust lifted from your impact. Making yourself as small as possible, you waited patiently before moving as bandits made their slow pace through the area. Passing several derelict buildings, you continued your way through until you found yourself at the main building Jack had instructed you to get to. The main door was well fortified and within view of the main courtyard as you quickly surveyed your options. Looking up the side, the windows had been boarded up long ago as you started to ascend the building looking for a weakness. Once you made it to the roof, you noticed a hatch that led inside was only guarded by a single rusted lock. Pulling out one of your purple daggers, it pried the metal apart with a small _pop_ as you lifted the hatch and made your way inside. The building was in a state of disrepair as you made your way through the metal rafters. The floor below was filled with stacks of different Hyperion branded crates as the voice of a gruff sounding man shouting into his ECHO Unit boomed out.

“We did what you asked but Hyperion has already been spotted in the area.”

Getting closer you could barely hear the voice from the other end of the device speak up.

_“Keep the supplies safe, we don’t want Jack to recover them.”_

“You promised that you would send us back up Roland! If they find us we are as good as dead.”

_“Don't worry. I already have a group of Vault Hunters heading to your location and will escort you and the cargo back to Sanctuary. They should be there before nightfall.”_

Realizing that meant you only a few hours left till the camp would have reinforcements you hissed softly, “Jack.”

_“I heard it pumpkin, why don’t you finish up the call for them.”_

With that, you pulled out the small device Jack gave you as it whirled to life, the sound of static now emulated from the man’s ECHO Unit.

“What the- Roland?”

An explosion rippled from the outside of the building as shouting and gunfire could be heard in the distance. Quickly descending from your perch, you landed on top of the man as your dagger sunk into his skull. A gurgle noise left his throat as he crumpled the floor moments later without resistance. No one else was present in the room as the sound of muffle voices could be heard outside.

“Don’t let them get to the supplies. We need to-”

The main door opened as you aimed your SMG down towards it and unloaded your clip into any bandit that tried to make their way inside. Stuck between you and the Hyperion forces currently making their way through the camp, the bandits didn’t stand a chance as they were all quickly gunned down without hesitation. The air was filled with the distinct smell of iron that only seemed to amplify your senses as you focused on every detail. Seeing the fear in your target's eyes, the vibrations the gun sent you when you pulled the trigger, the sound of blood dripping from fresh corpses. It was all consuming, maddening, irresistible but abruptly it was all over. The area was again quiet as everyone who once inhabited the area was now deceased. Hyperion bots began to enter the building as they collected up all the supply crates and headed back out towards the vehicles. Standing over the small mountain of bodies you had made, you watched Jack make his way towards you. Covered in as much blood as you were he looked absolutely wild. His usually prefect hair was tussled slightly as he flashed you a devilish grin and his hand cupped your face lightly. Leaning into the welcoming warmth of his touch, you closed your eyes trying to calm your over active nerves. A light brush of his lips on yours forced you to look back into his blue and green eyes, holding you still as he whispered sweet nothings to you.

“Your prefect. My little ghost.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, thanks for taking the time to read. Please let me know of any errors or helpful criticism.


	7. Chapter 7

The ride in the back seat of a Hyperion technical was fairly comfortable, better than those bandit vehicles you would get from the Catch-A-Ride stations that littered Pandora. It cruised over the rough terrain of the planet's surface effortlessly as night descended across the land. The seat was cozy as your back leaned gently beside Jack with your head resting against his shoulder. His arm wrapped around you as his fingers drew small circles through your hair. Sitting in silence, the heat in your veins had calmed to a low hum, signaling the drug’s effects starting to fade once again. A thought of worry kept creeping into your mind, as if it was trying to warn you of some danger but you couldn’t figure out why. You were safe weren't you? Jack was here and he was giving you small praises of affection for your work today, there was nothing to be concerned about. The smell of blood mixed with Jack’s musky aroma easily masked any lingering thoughts of doubt as you drifted off lightly in his presence.

“Kitten,” Jack whispered in your ear as you notice the vehicle begin to slow before coming to a stop. Stepping out, you saw that you were no longer in the wilderness of Pandora but rather inside a large under construction metropolis surrounded by water with giant glass skyscrapers that penetrated into the sky.

“Where are we?” You lifted an eyebrow as you couldn’t recall seeing a place like this in all your years of searching.

“Welcome to Opportunity, the shining beacon of Pandora’s future. I’d give you the grand tour but I think we had enough excitement for today. Best to save that little adventure for tomorrow.”

Jack placed a hand on the small of your back as he ordered his troops to secure the cargo to a supply bay and led you further into the city. Standing in front of the largest tower, you looked up to see a pillar of light piercing into the night sky above. It must be visible by at least a hundred mile radius in the surrounding area but that made you wonder why you never noticed it before. Would it really only been recently that Jack had built all this?

Inside the building, an elevator swiftly took you to the top as it opened up to a large suite overlooking the whole city. Adorned with luxurious furniture in Hyperion colors, you were not surprised at how over the top Jack’s place was. It only made you question if you thought if this was already too gaudy then how much worse must his suite on Helios be. Jack walked ahead as he shrugged his bag onto a nearby counter.

“Make yourself at home pumpkin. You can put your stuff in the first room on the left and -,” a small chime interrupted Jack as he retrieved his ECHO Unit. A bewitching grin crossed his face as he lifted a finger to his lips before speaking into the device.

“Hey there kiddos, sorry to say but you made it too late to the party. I already had a blast there without you. Shame really.”

 _“Jack,”_ a male voice on the other side hissed.

“Oh, are you hurt that I didn’t wait for you to show up before I killed all your bandit friends? Really you only have yourself to blame for being so slow.”

_“They didn’t deserve this massacre.”_

“Of course they did. Honestly, you should all know by now that you don’t stand a chance against me. You think that you bandits can steal my property and get away with it without consequences? That’s just sad.”

 _“I swear Jack, we will end you!”_ a woman’s voice boomed over the male’s.

“Well you sure are doing a bang up job so far but I’ll remind you that the hero always wins at the end of the day. I suggest you get that through your thick skulls before you think you can take what is mine. Ciao.”

Before they could answer, Jack ended the call as he placed the unit down.

“Those were-”

“Vault Hunters. Finally arriving at our little mess we left for them,” he chuckled softly. “Well, I think this calls for a celebration. Why don’t you go get cleaned up and I’ll get us something to eat. Just place your gear into the bin in the bathroom and it will get sorted out for tomorrow.”

Nodding, you made your way down the hallway into the room Jack had instructed you to use. The room was just as flashy as the rest of the apartment as a regal-looking bed filled most of the space but still sported a full sized dresser and matching end tables. Placing your bag on the bed, you located an adjacent bathroom fitted with gold fixtures and a glass encased shower. Quickly shedding your gear, you spotted the metal bin as it sealed shut after you placed your bloody gear inside. After a few seconds it reopened appearing to be empty as you wondered where it must have sent your clothing. Shaking your head, you stepped into the shower as it automatically turned on, the warm touch of water spread over your skin. It soothed your aching muscles as you used some of the provided products to clean off the remaining filth from the day's event. Staying under the shower a tad bit longer than necessary, you dried yourself off and changed into a black tank top and grey sweatpants before returning to the main room.

“Don’t you look comfy,” Jack sat on a bar stool as he was currently working over his ECHO Unit. Looking over his form, the blood that had stained his skin was long gone as he currently wore a bright yellow Hyperion sweater and fitted jeans.

“If you say so. I don’t really have any other clothes than my assigned gear.”

“Hmm, I guess we will have to fix that when we get back but for now food should be here soon. Why don’t you go relax while I finish up some work.”

Stepping into the living room, you stood in front of the large glass pane windows that overlooked the city. The view spanned over the waterfront district as you could see multiple sets of workers and bots working tirelessly. Even with the planet's night cycle fully in effect there was no end to the constant construction that confirmed your suspicions on how Jack had accomplished this much progress in such a short amount of time.

Your thoughts were interrupted as a light knock could be heard as Jack answered the front door. Retrieving the food, you followed him to a large dining table as you took a seat. Placing a dish in front of you, it contained a piece of grilled chicken and an assortment of vegetables that together gave off a faint sweet smoky aroma.

“Had the kitchen whip up something simple. Figured you must be hungry after the good work you did today.”

“Thanks,” taking a bite the dish was cooked to perfection as spice and herbs blended into a delightful taste. “Wow. This is really good.”

“Only the best for you. Speaking of the best, we are meant to be celebrating our newest victory. Have you ever tried Aquator Ale?”

“Umm, can't say I have. Only thing on Pandora to drink was Rakk Ale and I wouldn’t say the stuff they serve on Helios is much better.”

“Oh pumpkin, then you're in for a treat.” Jack retrieved two bottles from the fridge as he removed the caps with a crisp _pop_. Handing you one, he gave you a quick wink before sitting down and enjoying his own meal. Taking a sip, it is a well-aged ale with surprising, effusive fruit aroma and taste. Its intoxicating fragrance tickled your nose as the familiar taste of alcohol warms your throat.

It didn’t take long to finish your meal and find your way back into the living room as you took a seat on the plush couch. Jack soon joined you as he handed you another drink before placing his arm around your shoulder.

“Man, I wish we could have seen the faces of those filthy bandits when they arrived at the camp. Next time I’ll have to make sure we set up a few live feeds to watch.”

“I'm sure you would like that.”

“Come on, you can’t tell me you wouldn’t enjoy seeing those scumbags suffer too. I know you hate them as much as I do cupcake.”

“I’m more into just ending them. The less time they are alive the better.”

“Oh don’t worry. You will get plenty of opportunities to end their sorry lives.”

Time passed on as you and Jack talked about various topics. Well, more so Jack told you different stories of his never ending conquests and extravagant tales but it was nice. For once you didn't need to worry about work or the various tasks Hyperion needed Jack’s attention for. Tonight was dedicated to the two of you relaxing after a well executed raid with the alcohol making quick work of that as you body had lessened its tolerance over the last few weeks.

“So what’s up with Dr. Cooper and you?”

“Who?” You took another swig from your drink as your mind was slow to placing the name.

“Who she says. I don’t know, the whole reason you stumbled onto my station in the first place?”

“Oh, Jenna.”

“Jenna?”

“Yah. Well maybe, I don’t even know if it's her. Pretty stupid huh? Risking my life just to meet someone I'm not even sure is actually the person I'm looking for.” Tilting your head towards Jack, he gave you a quizzical look. “Don’t get me wrong, seems like everything worked out really. Even if I'm not 100% it's Jenna as long as she is safe I’m ok with that. You won’t hurt her right?”

“Long as you stay by my side kitten you don’t have to worry about anything ever again.”

“Right.”

“I’m serious. You're all mine and I’ll always make sure you have everything you'll ever want. Only the best for my obedient little ghost.”

Jack pulled you in closer as you hummed quietly against his chest. Shutting your eyes, you realized how exhausted you were as you listened to his steady heartbeat. It wasn’t long till the world began to slowly slip away as you drift off into sleep.

\--

Waking up in an unfamiliar bed, you bolted upright on alert to only instantly regret it as you became light headed from the rush and remaining alcohol that lingered in your system. Cursing yourself for not being able to hold your booze like you used to, you surveyed your surroundings to find you were in the guest room in Jack’s suite. Flopping back down onto the soft sheets, you tried to recall the events from last night as only fleeting memories filled your mind. Grunting at the growing headache, you rolled out of bed as you noticed your set of gear neatly folded on top of the dresser. Without questioning how it got there, you quickly changed as you equipped yourself ready for another day.

Entering the main room it was still dark outside as you remembered the grueling 90 hour day cycle of Pandora. Being on Helios for so long you had gotten used to it always being bright out no matter the time but there was something still comforting to the extended night. A sweet fragrance pulled your attention to the kitchen as you found Jack currently sipping from a cup as he stood over the stove.

“Morning,” your voice grabbed Jack’s attention as he turned towards you.

“Look who finally graced me with her presence. Hope you like pancakes because that’s what I’m making.”

“I didn’t know you could cook.”

He gave off a small chuckle, “I got lots of secrets you don’t know about yet but eat up. We got some work to do before we head back to Helios today.”

Placing a plate of fluffy pancakes down on the counter, you took a seat on one of the bar stools as Jack handed a cup of coffee to you. You thanked him but got a odd feeling as you reflected back to your experience in the last 24 hours. They felt almost domestic in nature but you didn’t understand why he was treating you this way. As you contemplated your position working for Jack, you figured any gratification from him was a bonus and best not to question. Quickly finishing your breakfast, you helped clean up and received your daily enhancement drug before escorting him out of the suite and into Opportunity.

Visiting multiple districts in the city, Jack showed you around as he received progress reports from each station. From the sound of it all, it wouldn’t be much longer till the metropolis would be fully functional and could allow wealthy families to live on Pandora in peace. You could tell he was in a good mood as he walked with a slight spring in his step. It wasn’t long until Jack was satisfied with the current process in Opportunity before you found yourself on a shuttle back to Helios. Looking down at the dust covered planet, you wonder when the next time you would visit again, maybe one day he would let you help him deal with those Vault Hunters; you could only hope.

\--

Your relationship with Jack seemed to have shifted after you returned from Pandora. He would often keep you close as you rarely left his side. Even introducing you to his mega suite on Helios which was as insanely extravagant as you thought it would be. Spending most nights in the guest room, you were quickly spending every waking moment with Jack as he would give you lavish gifts including clothes, jewelry and top of the line weapons.

Still keeping to the shadows, he would enlist your help with his daily tasks. The most prominent being when his security had discovered the mole that tipped the bandits on Pandora how to access the supplies you had successfully retrieved. The gutless employee squirming against his bonds as he was strapped down to a chair. You sat in front of him with your daggers as Jack was interrogating him for answers. The male sniveled that it wasn’t his fault as Jack instructed you how to inflict suffering for his inadequate answers. Your mind would attempt to remind you that you were once the one strapped down to the chair but it quickly snapped back to Jack, giving him your full focus. The strokes of your knife on the man’s body were done with elegance and precision as the crimson stain of blood slowly engulfed the pale canvas of his skin. The wails of his anguish fell on deaf ears as it only stopped when Jack commanded you to. The concept of time did not exist in this space as you continued on without hesitation, it was until you were asked to stand beside Jack as you slowly watched the man die from the extensive blood loss. His constant cries no longer echoed in the metal room as you turned to Jack. His signature smirk was across his lips as his eyes were sharp on your figure. The heat in your veins flared up at the sight as he caged you against the wall, the cold metal bit into your back as his body heat warmed your chest. Without words, his lips were against yours as they gave you demanding devotion. Taking your bottom lip, he bit into it as it sent a shiver of pain and pleasure down your body. His affection was intoxicating as you submitted to his will and let out a shaky breath as he pulled back slightly.

“Head back up the suite and get cleaned up kitten. You're gonna be my date for tonight's company ball so make sure you dress nice for me.”

A silent hiss left your tongue at his removed contact from your lips but you made sure not to show your displeasure. “What? Why?”

“Well I have to go so obviously you're coming with me. Those suckers can’t get enough of the old Handsome Jack charm at these events. It’s really all a sham anyways but I’m gonna need something there to keep me entertained.”

“I don’t know the first thing about corporate parties. You be better off-”

“Ah-ah-ah,” he placed a finger on your lips, “you aren't gonna get a say in this pumpkin. Don’t worry though it will be fun. Promise.”

You knitted your eyebrows together but you knew that there was no changing Jack’s mind when he decided on something. Leaving the gruesome mess behind, you arrived at his suite as you took a brisk shower to remove the filthy blood from the traitor off your body. Wrapping a towel around yourself you stood in front of your now extensive closet of unworn clothes as you pulled out several dresses Jack had picked out for you. Each one was more revealing than the last but you chose to go with a simple high-slit black dress with a slight hexagon pattern. Looking into the mirror, you frowned in annoyance how form fitting the dress was. While it accented your body perfectly, you couldn’t figure out how you would be able to conceal a single dagger without it being revealed easily. As you contemplated your options, a chime from the front door pulled your attention away.

“Yes?” you questioned into the door’s adjacent speaker.

_“Miss [Y/N], I- I was sent by Handsome Jack to help you with getting ready for this evening.”_

The security camera in front of the suite's private elevator showed a small woman standing out front nervously as she held onto a large black carrying case. Figuring she wasn’t a threat, you unlocked the security to allow her access and after a few short moments the lift opened up as she took a few small steps before standing star-struck in the entryway. Clearing your throat made her jump as she remembered quickly where she was.

“So what is it Jack sent you here for?”

“Ahh, I am here to help you with your hair and makeup for tonight’s ball.”

“I see, well I don’t really know what you need so...”

“Oh you don’t have to worry I have everything with me so we can just set up at the table over there.”

Pointing over to the dining table, you sat down in one of the chairs as she began unpacking a number of items out to use. You scrunch your nose at the sheer number of products now present as you never knew makeup required so much. Sitting there felt like its own type of torture as one after another different products were applied to your face with various measures. It was an uncomfortable as you tried to stay relatively still, noticing any movement from you made her flinch slightly. Clearly she was nervous about the whole situation and honestly you felt the same. You never been to a party let alone an event as extravagant as a ball. You had no idea what to expect out of the whole situation and it was sounding more dreadful the longer you linger on the thought. Once satisfied with the makeup portion of her task, she began to style your hair when the chime of the elevator rang out.

“Oh pumpkin, don’t you clean up nicely.”

Not moving your body, your eyes flicked over towards Jack as he slowly made his way closer. You could feel the girl behind you freeze in place which you could only presume was either utter terror or unwavering adoration for Jack. Letting your shoulders drop slightly, you tried to convey a notion of distaste.

“Jack, are you sure you want me to go wear this sort of outfit. There is no where to put a weapon without notice. It would be easier if you just let me be some sort of guard.”

“And miss you finally wearing one of the little numbers I got you? Not a chance. You feeling a little naked unarmed?”

“That would be one way to put it.”

“I wouldn’t worry too much about it. These events are just filled with stuffy executives but if you are scared then all you gotta do is stick with me.”

“I’m not scared,” you hissed in a hush tone. “I just didn’t have a good feeling about this.”

“Relax cupcake, Jack wouldn’t let anything happen to you. Just enjoy the experience, after all you wouldn’t believe how many people would kill for the opportunity to go to one of these events with yours truly.” Flashing you a smirk, you couldn’t help but roll your eyes in response. ”It’s that right... Mhmm, what’s your name?”

“Barb, s-sir.”

“Ah well, what do you say, Barb?”

“Of course she is very lucky. It would be a once in a lifetime opportunity to go with you, sir. A dream come true.”

Her reply made you physically cringe, it was clear that she favored towards more of an obsession with Handsome Jack than terror.

“Damn straight. Now I’ll let you finish up here while I get ready myself. I can’t wait to show you off kitten.”

Once Jack retreated to his own bedroom you could hear Barb give a girlish giggle as if she finally accomplished a lifetime goal of meeting Jack. It was kind of sad that such an interaction with him would make her so happy but it suddenly made you think. Was it even alright for you to be happy with your own relationship with Jack? When you first arrived you were a prisoner but things had changed right? He definitely didn’t treat you as one and Jenna was safe so maybe this is ok. Why were you doubting this, Jack gave you everything you didn’t have on Pandora, if anything this was the best possible outcome in the infinite universe to happen.

You didn’t know how long your thoughts had pulled you away before the girl loudly proclaimed she was done. Standing up, she handed you a mirror as you couldn’t recognize the person reflecting back at you. Your hair framed your face perfectly as it highlighted your dark smokey eyes that incited danger with a simple gaze and your bold red lips that taunt those who wish to touch them. The sound of Jack’s bedroom door opening, made you spin around quickly as you spotted him now changed into a jet black three-piece suit that accentuated his broad shoulders and chest while the famous Hyperion yellow was boldly displayed with his tie and pocket square. Looking over his form, you must have been staring a little too long as Jack gave you a coy smirk.

“Like what you see kitten? Because I sure do.”

“I- You. You look handsome,” turning your gaze away, you couldn’t handle how he was staring back.

“Awe you don’t have to be shy. You can look as long as you want. I’ll even let you touch if you behave.” Jack placed his hands on your hips as he looked at you closely. “You did a good job Barb, you're free to go.”

“Ah thank you, Mr. Handsome Jack. Sir,” you could hear her quickly pack up her things before promptly leaving the suite.

“Gods you are so gorgeous [Y/N]. You make it hard to resist not locking you away so no one else can see.”

“Jack.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t. I can’t wait till everyone sees you with me. They will think you are just as stunning as I do. No one will be able to keep their gaze off you but I’ll keep them all at bay so they will have to wonder in awe who you are. They will think you are a some sweet angel sent to grace them with your beauty but deep down we will be the only ones that know how deadly you truly are.”

His words sent shivers down your spine, imaging people staring at you all night was not exactly what you wanted but you couldn’t help but also think it was a little exciting.

“Here pumpkin. Take this,” Jack held out a familiar purple shimmering capsule.

“Another pill?”

“Just in case. It will help you if we get into trouble right? I don’t want you to feel too vulnerable.”

“Your right.”

“Of course I am.”

Taking the pill, you slipped it between your bold lips as Jack watched you intently. Your lips curled slightly as you forcefully swallowed slowly as you saw him take a sharp inhale. He gave off a deep chuckle as his enchanting eyes trailed back up to yours.

“I guess we shouldn’t keep them waiting then.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, thanks for taking the time to read. Please let me know of any errors or helpful criticism.  
> \--  
> This chapter was gonna be really long originally but I figured I should split it into two parts so it be the same size as the others. Should have the next one up soon.


	8. Chapter 8

Entering the grand ballroom, you could feel your muscles tense at the sheer number of people present. The room is filled with different snobby-looking men and women dressed in the finest luxuries they could afford. It was like your worst nightmare had manifested at the mere thought that you would have to endure an evening around them. With the news of Handsome Jack's arrival, all eyes turned towards you as you stood beside him. Instinctually wrapping an arm around Jack’s forearm, you turned towards him as you wanted to tell him this wasn’t gonna work when you met his eyes. They beamed with adoration and pride as he gave you a reassuring smile, knowing you were already feeling uneasy. Giving his arm a gentle squeeze you took a deep breath as he led you through the crowd, hush tones could be heard all around you as they gasped at Handsome Jack and some questioned who the girl with him was. Trying your best to ignore the unwanted attention, you force your body to show a level of confidence as you stood beside Jack. There was no reason to show weakness to lesser individuals such as this.

A group of gossiping women caught your attention as they were approaching Jack. Narrowing your eyes with a small sneer made them freeze in their tracks before quickly giving up their plan for now. Jack gave a deep chuckle as he leaned down closer to your ear.

“Kitten, you need to relax.”

“This isn’t very fun Jack. Everyone is just staring at us.”

“You're gonna have to get used to it sweetheart. You and I are the only important people here so they are going to try and steal our attention but the only one you have to focus on is me."

Sweetheart? Jack always called you different nicknames but that was a first. He led you around as several people greeted him and gave their praise. Jack had all these babbling executives eating out of the palm of his hand as you remained silent. A few would try to strike up a conversation with you before Jack would interrupt them and pull you away. You were at least thankful for that as his steady touches kept giving you encouragement, the heat in your veins pooled under your skin where his hands would linger. The sensation was hard to ignore as it often left you wordless and it wasn’t long till he noticed your mild discomfort at the feeling as he intensified his actions. You tried your best not to squirm as he continued on his drab conversations with other guests as his skilled fingers caressed you. You couldn’t tell how long it had been since Jack had started to tease you but a small gasp left your lips as intense rush was caused by him tracing his hand across your hip and up your spine. Giving him a stern glare only made his smirk even wider as he dismissed another set of executives and pulled you in close to his chest. His breath against your ear sent shivers down your body as you braced yourself against him. The constant heat that lingered inside you cried out for him and left you breathless.

“Jack.”

“I got you pumpkin.”

Jack pulled you towards the outer wall before swiftly taking you into an empty side room and shutting the door behind him. Out of prying eyes, he was upon you again as his hands roamed your body in earnest. His lips nibbled at your neck as you could feel the heat start to rise once more.

“It was such a good idea to bring you here. Having you flustered under my grasp as they all watched you struggle to keep your composer. I bet they haven’t seen something so entertaining at one of these gigs since- well ever.”

“Jack that’s- that’s not true,” you couldn’t stop the sudden crimson flush that crossed your cheeks.

“Are you blind? How could you not notice how many people were eye fucking you in this hot little black dress.” Jack pushed you down onto the single desk that sat in the middle of the room. “Too bad for them that you're mine right?”

Your breath hitched when his hand slid up your open thigh making it so you could only nod in response.

“Words kitten.”

“All yours.”

Jack gave a low growl as he pushed his weight onto you as his soft lips latched onto your skin just above your collarbone. Wrapping your arms around him, your nails dug slightly into his jacket as you hated how much clothes were between you and his skin.

“You're gonna leave a mark," you hissed

“Good. It will be a reminder to these chumps that you're coming home with me tonight.”

A moan escaped your lips as his tongue trailed up your neck, his hands held you firm under their grasp as you thought they might leave small bruises in their wake. His lips met with your as you melted under their touch, the intoxicating exhilaration Jack gave your body was tiresome but yet you couldn’t get enough. It filled your thoughts leaving the outside world behind as if Jack was the only thing that existed apart from you.

“Feeling good?”

“S-so good.”

“That’s what I want to hear. Don’t worry we are only just getting started.”

You could feel Jack push your dress further up, allowing him more access to your skin when the door suddenly reopened.

“Can’t you slack-jawed idiots see I’m busy?” Jack called out to whoever was rudely interrupting.

“Sorry but we got important business.”

“What could you possibly think is more important than-,” the distinct click of a gun stopped Jack mid-sentence. He leaned off your body as you looked past to see three bandits dressed as if they were guests had entered the room. Each one was equipped with a weapon, pointed in your direction as Jack helped you back to your feet.

“Now that we got your attention. Let’s start the negotiation. Why don’t you come over here, girly?” The main bandit waved his gun at you, beckoning you forward as you turned to Jack.

“Do what the man says cupcake.”

Straightening your dress, you stepped towards them as the burliest man grabbed a hold of your arm and roughly pulled you flush to his side while lifting his gun till it rested against your temple. His grasp on your skin made you mentally recoil, it was nothing like the heat that Jack gave you. It was vile as you forced yourself to resist not making him regret touching you. A smaller bandit stood off to your right as the main bandit began to stalk towards Jack.

“I’m sure you don’t want your little play thing to get hurt Jack. So let's just make this quick. All we want is a sample of your DNA and then we will be on our way.”

“Should I be creeped out right now? Cause I’m feeling a little creeped out. What is with the weird obsession you fanboys have with me?“

“Shut it! We got a lot of money riding on this so don’t think about even trying anything unless you want your booty call dead.”

You growled at his remark but he didn’t pay you any mind as he pulled out a medical syringe while still aiming towards Jack. He paused for a moment as he contemplated how to get to Jack’s DNA through his tight fitting suit.

“Oh for fucks sake- give it here, ”Jack roughly took the syringe as he swiftly jammed it into his neck. Extracting a sample of blood, he pulled it out before tossing it to the skittish guy on your right, “Here. Catch.”

As all the bandits watched the vial soar through the air, Jack took the opportunity to punch the bandit in front of him in the face. He cried out in pain as Jack reached out to disarm him. The gun that was pointed at your head rotated away, resulting in you elbowing the wielder in the gut at his mistake. Grabbing hold of his wrist, you twisted it harshly as his grip loosened allowing you to take control of the gun and instantly fired a bullet into his brain. The sound of another gunshot pulled your attention as you turned to see that Jack had done the same in kind to the other bandit. During the sudden chaos, it became apparent that the remaining bandit had caught the vial and had escaped the room back into the party.

“Don’t let him leave this station alive ghost.”

Without hesitation, you dashed out of the room back into the grand ballroom as you spotted the bandit currently making his way through the crowd at the other side of the room. Lifting the gun above you, a single shot rang out as people started screaming and panicking from your action. Quickly they scurried out of the way as they cleared a path for you. Chasing the bandit down several winding corridors and departments, you thought it was eerily quiet as you tried to take a shot before he ducked behind another corner. You were starting to slowly run out of ammo from the constant chase as he leapt through a large entranceway labeled Stagnating Biogenics Research. Entering the room, it was outfitted similar to other labs on Helios but featured large glass encased exhibits that were filled with different flowers, trees, and other flora that made the air more humid than normal. You quickly spotted the bandit at one of the consoles as he pressed a few buttons before seeing you and bolting off. Pausing shortly at the console, you look at the screen to see a flashing message.

_Environment Stabilization Core Malfunction._  
_Full corruption in T-Minus: 00:04:29:586_

The clock was rapidly counting down as you realized that this lab was only a few minutes away from detonating a large scale explosion. While you knew Helios had several failsafes to mitigate the damage from destroying the station entirely, it would still create enough of a disruption to allow the bandit to escape to Pandora. Picking back up the trail, you were starting to gain ground on the bandit as your stamina was clearly greater with the drug pumping through your veins. Continue on through the lab, you finally were about to get a clear shot on the bandit when you spotted her.

Dressed in a pristine white lab coat and currently reviewing a report on a ECHO Datapad, Jenna stood in front of one of the large enclosures. Coming to a complete stop, you stood there frozen as you didn’t know what to do. She was here, you were finally seeing her in person; wait, no this wasn’t good. She was clearly within range of the incoming explosion which would surely result in her death. You knew that Jack wouldn’t care about the damaged facility but if you stopped the bandit from escaping like he ordered there would be absolutely no way you could save Jenna; you couldn’t live with that. Quickly abandoned course, you darted towards her as you sternly grabbed her arm and forced her to turn towards you in a panic.

“You need to get out of here. Now,” you snapped.

“What do you think you're doing? You're not authorized to be here.”

“That doesn’t matter, this place is about to go up in flames so you're coming with me.”

“I’m not leaving my research.”

“You don't have a choice. I’m not letting you die here.”

“But you can’t just-” she stuttered as the hold on her arm tightened, “I- I can start the lockdown procedure that will barricade the test subjects. Please, I can’t just abandon years of my work.”

Her pleading eyes loosen your grip of anger, it reminded you of all the times she begged you to bring her with you when you were children. All those bottled up emotions you locked away so long ago were threatening to spill over. You missed her terribly, she had grown so much without you but time was not on your side in this moment. Letting out a deep breath, you tried to rationalize your sudden decision.

“Fine. What do we need to do?”

“There is a main console in the center observation deck. I just need a few moments to start the process.”

Following her into an open center platform, Jenna quickly began to furiously type into the console’s keyboard before she let out a small gasp.

“What’s the hold up?”

“I’m locked out of the system. I- I can’t access it,” the panic in her voice was apparent.

Cursing under your breath, you knew there wasn’t enough time to get out the lab before the explosion was set to go off. Pushing her away from the console, you typed in a key string that Jack had once instructed you to use to override an employee system. Within a few seconds the console unlocked as blaring alarms and flashing red lights filled the lab.

_Attention: Lockdown mode initiated._

Large thick metal barricades began to descend from the ceiling that encased the glass enclosures. They inch ever so slowly as you wished they would hurry up when the first explosion ripped through the room. Still exposed glass shattered sending debris in all directions, you could hear Jenna yelp as you instinctually pushed her closer to the ground. Shielded her with your own body, you could feel the sting of pain as small cuts were ripped into your flesh as another set of explosions set off. Loud sounds of crumbling infrastructure crashing to the floor filled your ears as the impact of a heavy metal beam landed on top of you. Your knees buckled instantly as the air in your lungs harshly escaped. You didn’t have time to recover when a final explosion close by detonated, sending you and Jenna flying backwards. Pulling her close, you twisted your bodies so you took the brute of the impact as you were flung into the nearby console. Pain convulsed through your entire body as the familiar taste of iron hit your tongue.

“H-y -- Don’t you -- Stay-”, the voice was unrecognizable as a constant ringing was in your ears. It hurt too much to focus, your body was trembling as you could feel the drug still making your senses hyper-aware. Each sensation sent to your brain was overwhelming as you struggled to keep consciousness till you slipped into darkness.

\--

When you woke, your head was pounding as you struggled to sit up. The room was cold and dimly lit as you saw that you were still wearing your torn dress, blood from your various injuries painted your skin even though they had longed healed. You were contemplating where you were exactly when the door opened, filling the room with a bright light. Shielding your eyes, you could make out Jack entering before he stood in front of you.

“Jack? What happened? Is Jenna ok?”

“Oh I wouldn’t worry about her at the moment. You got bigger issues to think about.”

“She would have died.”

“And what would have happened if that bandit got away with my DNA. Do you know how devastating that would have been for us? I can't believe how selfish you are.” Suddenly Jack’s hands were around your throat as he picked you up and threw you into the closest wall. “I gave you everything and all you had to do is listen. Is that really just so hard for you?”

“Jack, please. I didn’t know. I just thought-”

“I don’t keep you to think ghost. When have you ever had to make a decision on my commands.” His strength was unmatched as he lifted you slightly off the ground and his grip tightened. “Never, my word is absolute.”

It was becoming hard to breath as you tried to pry his iron grip on your neck.

“Really, you are lucky the bandit died in the explosion because of his own incompetence but this doesn’t fix your consistent failures to just follow simple orders.”

Abruptly releasing his hold, you crashed to the floor as your legs failed to catch yourself. Coughing at the reintroduction of air, Jack crouched down towards you as his eyes displayed his utter disappointment. Seeing that look made your blood turn cold, tears started to form in the corners of your eyes at the realization that you had failed Jack.

“J-Jack. I’m sorry. I’m so-”

“Shh I know but you still need to be punished kitten. You understand right?” his thumb brushed aside the streams of tears that now flowed down your cheek.

You did. You were ready to accept the punishment you deserved for betraying him like this. You knew that you should have stopped the bandit by your own hand like he asked. It would have worked out in the end, it always did.

“I understand.”

“That’s my girl. Now I expect you to behave and let this be the last time you fail me.”

Your body tensed slightly as you waited for some sort of strike from him but as you opened your eyes you saw that he had stood up and moved towards the door. Closing with a thunderous _thud_ , he left you alone in the dark as you sat in stunned silence, not sure what would happen next.

It had to have been at least a full day since Jack left you alone, the cell you were caged in was frighteningly silent as it left you with your thoughts. You really had fucked up this time, you should have learned your lesson by now not to disobey him but you did it anyways. Jack mattered to you just as much as Jenna did but he understood that didn’t he? You had told him that Jenna was important to you, surely he would have kept her safe for you.

As your failure was eating you alive, the creepy sensation of numbness was coursing through your body. At first you didn’t pay much mind to it until it was slowly consuming you. Its cold touch became sharp as it pierced your veins alarmingly, making you gasp at the unexpected pain. You curled up on the harsh ground as your movements only made the ache worse. Shocks of pain rippled through you constantly as you could only accept their intrusion. What was happening to you? You needed it to stop.

You didn’t know how long you stayed in that state, unable to do anything as your body fought against you and brought you unbearable pain. By the time you were able to make another coherent thought, you couldn’t feel anything as you were senseless. Was this because you hadn’t had a dose of the drug? What exactly had Jack been forcing you to take all this time. Forced, that was right, how could you let yourself be so blind that he would be above using a drug to keep you in check. This was your fault, why did you let it get this far. New tears streamed down your face as another convulsion of pain rippled through your body. It hurt, oh gods did it hurt. You wanted it to end, please you would do anything to not feel like this ever again.

As if your prayers had been answered the door opened after being shut for so long. Strong arms wrapped around your shoulders as you were pulled off the floor, you grunt against the pain caused from the movement. Your chin was forced upwards as you saw blue and green eyes staring back, your breath was shallow as you could hear Jack’s voice.

“I hope you understand now kitten. I am the one that gives you everything and I can take it all away.”

You hissed lightly at his words as you knew all too well now. There was no escaping Jack.

“Everything about you is mine. Your mind. Your body. It’s mine.”

His lips were on yours but you couldn’t feel anything, your body trembled under his hold as his tongue slipped into your mouth. It caressed you gently before it pushed something solid to the back of your throat. Panic set in as you tried to dislodge yourself from Jack but he held you still. Tears began to prick the corners of your eyes as you were forced to swallow the pill he had placed inside before he finally released your lips. He gave you a devilish smirk as true fear finally dawned on you. There was no getting out of this, you had been trapped all this time without knowing the power he held over you.

Without warning, a rush of heat burned through your body, it torched every inch of your skin as suddenly you were able to feel once more. The overwhelming sense of the world around you was overpowering as you screamed out in agony, your muscles tensed all at once as you tried to gain mastery over your body. Slowly the pain began to subside once more from the familiar feeling of the drug but this time it was more intense as it didn’t stop once you finally gained control. Instead you could feel your mind ignore all irrelative information, focusing all your senses solely on Jack. His smile was so warm as his mix-matched eyes gave you the praise you craved. Reaching a hand out onto Jack’s face, he let you touch his mask as you pulled yourself closer to him. Grasping into the front of his jacket, you leaned in as close as you could to his warmth.

“You need me don’t you?” His voice was soft as he brushed your hair behind your ear.

You couldn’t dignify that with a response, only tightening your grip to make sure he couldn’t leave.

“You will do anything for me, right?”

You nodded against his chest as you closed your eyes, relishing in the drug's effects.

“Use your words.”

“Yes.”

“Then I’ll show you mercy ghost.”

The next thing you remember is standing in Jack’s office, you looked down at your hands as they were stained bright red with fresh blood. Searching around the room, there were no bodies in sight as worried about the massacre you must have just committed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, thanks for taking the time to read. Please let me know of any errors or helpful criticism.


	9. Chapter 9

Sitting on the couch in Jack’s suite, you had your knees pulled up to your chest as you were lost in thought. It had been about a week since the incident at the company ball but you couldn’t escape your constant worries. What exactly happened after the explosion in the labs? Was Jenna ok? Why couldn’t you remember anything between retaking the drug in the cell and Jack’s office? The last one being the most prevalent in your mind.

The first thing you recalled was how sore your muscles were, their aches showed there was no mistake that you had done something that was arduous on your body. Seeing yourself covered head to toe in blood was evidence enough that what happened was no less than a slaughter but why couldn’t you remember it. The fact that Jack was able to control you enough to where you were oblivious to your own actions frightened you. Whether it was intentional or not, you had to make sure that it never happened again.

You thought about asking Jack for the answers to your questions but you quickly stopped yourself. It wasn’t worth finding out what he would do if he found out you were having these weak-minded thoughts. It disturbed you that everything about your life was suddenly taken away within a blink of an eye but at the same time it made it clear that Jack was truly everything to you. You need to remain loyal, he was the only thing that mattered after all. As you contemplated your fragmented memories for clues, you failed to notice the couch dip slightly beside you.

“Looks like you got something on your mind there kitten.”

You jumped a little at Jack’s voice, “No. I’m just tired.”

“Mhmm, sure you are. Why don’t you tell me what’s got you so on edge?”

“It’s nothing. I’ll get over it soon. It won't affect my work.”

“[Y/N], you're not alone anymore. You don’t have to face these problems on your own. Let me help you.”

“It’s just that I- With you, I-” it was too hard to find a way to express yourself without telling Jack the full truth.

There was a moment of pure silence between the two of you. Neither one wanted to say what was truly wrong in case admitting it would make the situation worse but you could hear Jack let out a heavy sigh as he leaned back into the cushion.

“You’re scared of me.”

“Jack-”, you were petrified but the way he made those words sound made your heart ache. How could one man be everything you desired and despised at the same time.

His arm wrapped around you as you let him pull you in towards his chest. His warmth always put you at ease, it was like your blood purred being so close to him.

“Everything I’ve done is to protect you. You know that right? How much you mean to me. I would do anything to make sure you're happy.”

“I know. I hate myself. Hate that I can’t get rid of these thoughts but I don’t want to lose myself either. I don’t want to be numb again.” Taking a deep breath, you steady yourself as you decided to tell him how you truly felt, “I’m yours Jack. I don’t have anywhere to go, you are everything to me. Just promise me one thing? Promise me that I won’t become mindless. I’ll never disobey your commands but I want to be able to remember all of it.“

“Are you being sincere about that?”

“Of course. I’ll do anything to prove that to you,” pushing off his chest you faced towards him.

It was like time had stopped as you both looked into each other for answers. His heterochromia eyes were always daunting but in this moment they looked at you longingly, searching for the truth behind your words. His hand cupped your face gently as he brought his forehead to rest against yours.

“Spend the night with me.”

You inhaled sharply at his request, the low heat that was humming in your veins now burned with insatiable want. Your hands traced up his shirt as you moved yourself to straddle his lap. His breath exhaled lightly onto your skin as he pulled you closer.

“[Y/N] I want you. Let’s just go back to where we were before. Before this whole mess, we were perfect.”

“Jack. I- I want that too.”

He gave you his signature smirk as his lips brushed closer to yours, “Then let me take care of you.”

\--

Waking up the next morning in Jack’s bed, you noticed that you were alone as you struggled to get out of the sea of blankets he kept. On the side table you spotted a glass of water with a single purple pill placed on top of a piece of paper.

_Stepped out for a meeting and didn't want to wake you._  
_Wait here for me._  
_-HJ_

A small sigh left your lips, it hurt a little that he wasn’t here when you woke but I guess it couldn’t be helped. He was an important person running a major corporation and single handedly waging war with an entire planet after all, he wasn’t gonna be able to solely be with you all the time.

Stepping into the bathroom, you looked over your form to see various bites and bruises that painted your skin. If anything was to be judge off last night it's that Jack was not a gentle lover. Tracing over a particular spot on your shoulder where he had bitten several times, it was tender to the touch as you winced to the slight sting. Stepping into the warm shower helps to soothe your skin from the ache as you savoured the growing heat from the drug. A part of you hated that you needed this drug, how it made your blood sing out, how it made you feel everything but yet it was the thing you craved most. Jack seemed to have that effect on you, make you hate something to the point where it was the only thing you cared about.

Being in his apartment when the drug was active was aggravating, his scent lingered in every room as it invaded your senses. The constant humming in your veins was addictive but yet exhausting with the only cure seeming to be the small touches Jack gave you or the rush from killing something deserving. But on days like this there was no hunt for you to partake in as you were instructed to wait for Jack to return. Flopping back onto the couch, you groaned at the excessive sensations your body was sending you. As much as you wanted to go find him for relief, you promised yourself that you wouldn’t let your judgement misguide you away from Jack’s orders ever again. You would just have to be patient and deal with the lingering effects until he came back for you.

Days seemed to drag on until life finally returned to normal before your mistake, Jack slowly assigned you to normal tasks around Helios as you proved to him that you were serious about your promise to him. But as Jack’s conquests against the Vault Hunters seem to escalate he would often be swamped in his work as he would stay in his office for longer periods, leaving you alone most of the time. Nights without him were the worst as the nightmares of the past haunted your every thought. Your failures to both Jenna and Jack tormented you with regret and grief that sometimes felt unbearable, even making you question if it was better to just let Jack make you numb. No, these were the mistakes you had made in your life, burdens that you would have to live with. You would have to be strong and face these demons on your own. There was no reason for them to hinder you now anyways, as long as you kept Jack happy then in return he would take care of Jenna for you. You knew it was the best way to keep her safe, you will just have to accept that you were never meant to meet. Your old life and goals no longer were realistic, it was time to move on.

\--

When you entered Jack’s office that day he was already hard at work as he was yelling into his ECHO Unit at some worthless employee.

“-I want the canon warmed up and ready to go. Because there will be hell to pay if you shiver-brains don’t get it online by the time I call you again.” Laying the device back down on his desk he let out a small chuckle, “those idiots in Sanctuary aren't gonna know what hit them.”

His focus turned to you as you walked forward and stood in front of his desk. Paperwork was strewed all over the surface with multiple empty coffee cups signified that he had been here all night. Whatever he had planned for today was going to be big. Placing a hand on your hip, you wait patiently for his new set of instructions.

“Morning kitten, you're going down to Pandora today. Seems some bandits got into the old Varkid Ranch Observatory in the Tundra Express and turned off our connection to the facility. I’m sending you to clear them out and fix the link.”

“Tundra Express? Are you sure you want to send me there and not to help with your raid on Sanctuary?”

“Oh I’m sure, that's already all taken care of. While those Vault Hunters are distracted, you’ll be able to get in the area without issue.“

“It’s just that- I feel like I can do more. I want to help you Jack.”

“You are helping me cupcake. Just because you're not on the front line doesn’t mean you aren’t. There are some important environmental reports we still get from the facility and I need someone I can trust to go get them for me.”

He stood up from his seat as he circled around the desk. Sitting against the wooden surface, he pulled you forward into his embrace as he gave you a small smirk.

“Think of this as a small test run. You do this one little thing for me and we can talk about sending you on more crucial missions after. Sound good?”

“Yah, alright.”

“I knew you would see it my way. Now get going, there is a shuttle waiting for you. I see yah later tonight.“ Giving your cheek a small kiss, he dismissed you as you left his office to Pandora.

Traveling the planet’s surface by train, you were standing with your arms crossed in the middle of the compartment as it gently swayed. Apparently Jack had failed to mention the two loader bots that were to escort you through the area. Really it could have been worse but you still figure it was overkill for a simple clear out mission on an abandoned facility. There was no point in wasting ammo as you forgo taking a gun and instead opting for just your daggers. At least maybe this way those bandits could at least provide you with a challenge. The train came to a stop in the central station of Tundra Express as you stepped out with bots in tow, the area was ominously quiet.

A far distanced cry made you look up as a single bird could be seen soaring above. It didn’t look like any type of bird you had seen before and most certainly wasn’t a rakk as they often flew in packs. As you watched, it circled a few times before giving off another screech and flying out towards the tundra’s interior. Making your own way out of the station, you followed the road towards the observatory as the Loader Bots killed any wild varkids that strayed to close. The observatory itself was a run down building built into a rocking outcrop, its exterior had long rusted and the glass from the windows visible were shattered. The entrance was a carved out tunnel that led into the ground floor as yelling from the intruding bandits echoed against the metal walls when they became known to your presence. You didn’t know why you got your hopes up when only five measly bandits charged out only to be gunned down without you so much as lifting a finger. A heavy sigh left your lips as you walked towards the main console and plugged in your ECHO Unit into the machine.

_Establishing connection...3%_

You watched the connection slowly load with your back towards the door when two booming _cracks_ from a gun rang out as the Loader bots that flanked you crumpled to the floor. Still holding onto the unit, you turned your body slowly towards the sound’s source as you spotted a skinny-looking bandit. He was dressed in dirty battle-grade gear with heavy red cloth that covered his forehead, neck and chest. His goggles covered his eyes as you spotted the sniper rifle he held in his hands.

“Hey, you alright? You're safe now.”

You gave a questionable look, did he think you were in danger? Maybe since you didn’t have any weapons visible he had mistaken you as a Hyperion prisoner. Judging from his attire you assumed he wasn’t just a normal bandit, most likely he was allegiance with the Crimson Raiders that Jack had warned you about. He shifted his stance a little at your lack of response as he lowered his gun slightly.

“What was Hyperion forcing you to do here?”

The small chime of your ECHO Unit made you look down at it’s display.

 _Connection Established._  
[-] _Power Core … ONLINE_  
[-] _Helios Data Transference Connection … OFFLINE_  
[-] _Electrical Shield Generator … OFFLINE_  
[-] _Subject Field Defense Turrets … ONLINE_

A small smirk crossed your face, maybe you could have a little fun on this mission. After all Jack would be happy with you if you killed him right?

“They weren’t making me do anything.”

Selecting the third option on your device, the sound of electricity sparked through the air as a barrier blocked off the entrance from where you both came through. The man spun around to see that he was now trapped with you inside the facility.

“What’s going on? What are you doing?” his confusion swiftly turned to anger as he lifted his sniper back towards you. “You work for Jack.”

“Obviously.”

“Why?”

“A bandit like you wouldn’t understand.”

Sprinting forward towards him, your ears heard the sound of leather tightening as he squeezed the trigger. Quickly dodging the bullet, you pushed off the ground as you grabbed two daggers from their hiding place and lifted them above you before striking down. The man quickly shielded himself with the sniper as both blades sank into the metal. Strength against strength, you pushed against each other equally for dominance. He smelled like cheap rakk ale as his dry cracked lips snarled at you. Your blood hummed in excitement as you shifted your weight, sending the gun with the embedded daggers sliding across the room. Pivoting yourself, you took a swing towards him as he defensively lifted his arms to block. Blow after blow, you pushed into him till he decided to fight back. His hits hurt enough to where you suspected bruises would form later but there were flaws in this technique, clearly he wasn’t used to such close quarter combat. When one swing left him vulnerable, you landed a hard hitting punch across his face into an uppercut that made him cry out in pain and stumbling backwards. In his daze, he reached down for a pistol strapped to his side as you swept out his legs from under him. Crashing to the ground, the gun clattered to the floor next to him as you kicked it out of the way before he could grab it and stood over him.

“Who are you?” he snarled as he tried to sit up only for you to place a boot on his chest.

Pushing some weight down, he winced in pain as you watched with cold eyes. Pandora truly was filled with the most despicable people you had the misfortune of encountering. Even as he was about to die he was asking you stupid questions.

“Answer me.”

Growling lowly, you pulled out another dagger. Why did it matter who you were? All he needed to know is that you belonged to Jack. He was the only one that provided you with a sense of purpose, made you smarter and stronger than you ever were when you wandered aimlessly on this god-forsaken planet. All the hardships you suffered on Pandora only fueled your hatred and want to destroy this world for good.

You let out a little huff at the thought, “I’m just a ghost who is haunted.”

Gripping the knife tightly, you were about to plunge into his chest when a screech above halted your movement. A sharp sting of pain erupted from your shoulder as a bird had pierced your skin with its talons. The heat in your veins intensified as you stepped backwards trying to dislodge the creature. Quickly swiping the dagger towards it, the bird let go as you turned to see the man had gotten up and was now sprinting up the metal staircase towards the roof. Gritting your teeth, you were about to give chase when you spotted the bird diving in your direction. Ducking out of the way, it swopped back up as it circled above ready to strike once more. As it descended a third time, you grabbed a nearby loose chain as you wrapped it around one of its wings and body. Tangling the bird up tightly, you took the dagger and stabbed between two chain links into the floor, securing it to the ground. It struggled against its new bonds as it screeched in alarm. Satisfied that the creature was no longer a threat, you darted up to the roof as you surveyed the area to see no sign of the man. Cursing yourself for letting him escape, you figured that there wasn’t anything you could do about it now as you re-entered the building and hailed Jack over your ECHO Unit.

_“You’re late to report in, kitten.”_

“I got you a gift. One of those Crimson Raiders attacked me but I managed to capture his pet for you.”

_“Well, you sure know how to make a man happy don’t yah? Stay where you are, I’ll be sending some personal your way soon to retrieve it.”_

A smile spread across your face at Jack’s words as you watched the bird strain against the chains once more before accepting its fate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, thanks for taking the time to read. Please let me know of any errors or helpful criticism.  
> \--  
> Sorry this chapter is a bit smaller. We are starting to get closer to the crazy parts so hope you guys are enjoying it so far.  
> If you been following along, updates are gonna be slower again since I'm going back to work after a week off. Still aim to at least one chapter a week.


	10. Chapter 10

To Jack’s word, a set of Hyperion vehicles showed up a few minutes later to the Varkid Ranch Observatory. A mix of scientists and military personnel secured your newest captive to be transported as you hopped into the backseat of one of the vehicles. As the convoy drove on for several hours, you were leaning against the window as you watched Helios bombard the planet with moonshots. They fired one after another, never ending and relentless as you wondered how Jack’s assault on Sanctuary was going.

Ending up at the Hyperion Wildlife Exploitation Preserve, you watched as the group of scientists were currently surrounding the caged creature. In hushed tones they conversed with each other as you pondered what Jack had planned for your gift but you ultimately didn’t care about its fate as you made your way into the main facility. A set of employees brought you to the medical bay and while the attending doctor was stitching up your injury a burly guard made his way towards you.

“Miss [Y/N], I’m here to give you a facility pass.”

As he handed you a simple white access card you eyed it quizzically, “What is this for?”

“It's so you can have access to the grounds and your room.”

“I don’t have plans of staying here.”

“We have orders that you would be spending at least the night with us. Further instructions were said to be placed for tomorrow.”

“So you're telling me there are no shuttles scheduled to leave today?”

“That's correct.”

A sigh left your lips, typical of Jack to make arrangements for you without notice but you were really hoping to get off Pandora. Muttering a thanks, he gave you a small salute as he left allowing the physician to finish patching you up. When you were cleared to leave the medical bay, you found your way outside as you saw that Helios was once again quiet in the sky. Knowing Jack he was still probably yelling at different employees for the aftermath of the assault, too busy to really answer why he left you stranded on the planet for the night. Figuring that it was best not to dwell on it, you headed towards your assigned quarters. It was a small room, a typical bunker setup with a cot and a small table but at least it wasn’t a shared space with the other employees. As you laid down, the sting in your shoulder from the creature’s talons making you groan. While a Insta-Health vial would have healed the injury it wasn’t necessary, it was better sometimes to be reminded of the pain. It told you that you were alive still, that even if you kept yourself safe by concealing your inner torments you were not completely numb.

It was quiet for a while until the sound of your Echo Unit woke you up from your slumber. As you contemplated for a second at what point you had managed to fall asleep, you answered.

“Jack.”

_“Well good morning to you too pumpkin. Sleep ok?”_

“I guess. Care to tell me why I had to spend the night here?”

_“Change in plans. Nothing to worry about but I need you to go check on an outpost located north of the Highlands.”_

“What for?”

_“Been getting some reports of supplies being sent to a supposedly abandoned Atlas facility. Whoever is camping out there probably trying to be sneaky about it but they should know better that you can't hide anything from me on my own planet. I want you to scout it out and tell me who is there and what they are doing.”_

“Sure but doesn’t that mean I’ll be down here for a couple of days?”

_“Yep. I’m putting a lot of faith in you [Y/N] to be good while I'm not around.”_

“What about the pills Jack? I know the side effects happen if I miss a dose.”

_“Oh don’t worry about that kitten. There is a set of supplies waiting for you when you're ready to go.”_

A groan settled in your throat of the thought of extending your stay on Pandora which Jack must have picked up on as he gave you a small chuckle.

_“Just don’t do anything too reckless. I’m trusting your judgement if you can handle the situation on your own or not.”_

“I won't let you down Jack.”

_“I know sweetheart.”_

Ending the call you ran a hand through your hair, you really didn’t want to be on this planet longer than you had to. It was a vile, corrupt and only reminded you of the years you wasted away on its surface but how could you say no to Jack.

Arriving at the main gate, you were giving a choice of a few weapons. Picking out a pistol and sniper, you were handed a few other supplies for your journey but most importantly a small case that was the size of your hand filled with the familiar purple pills you had become accustom to. Jack must really be putting some faith in you to give you even this small supply without his supervision. Storing them in a secure pouch in your jacket, you headed out north on foot. It would take a bit longer to get there than by vehicle but this way you figured if someone was keeping a eye out on the area it would be easier to get into position undetected.

\--

Arriving at the coordinates Jack gave you, the outpost itself was an old Atlas bunker that was built into the nearby cliffside as you watched from a rocky outcrop. Looking through the sniper scope, the surrounding area didn’t have any signs of activity though you spotted a few stalker corpses. Judging by the state of decay, they couldn’t be more than a few days old as you waited patiently for any sort of activity.

Hours went by as dusk started to settle on the horizon, staying in one spot for so long made your body sore but the heat in your veins made it agonizing. The itch to kill something to ease off the feeling was enticing when you noticed a few wild stalkers at the end of your scope. Your blood begged for you to pull the trigger but you knew that it would give away your presence to anyone nearby. You knew how important it would be to stay hidden so you would have to fight your way past the discomfort.

It wasn’t until late into the night you witnessed a scrawny younger-looking man leave the outpost. He was anxious as he checked his surroundings before placing down a supply beacon. As quickly as he appeared he rushed back inside the facility, leaving the area once again desolate as the beacon blinked periodically. Waiting another 15 minutes to see if he would return, you figured it was safe as you cautiously creeped closer to the beacon. It was an older model that gave off a light _ping_ noise at each flash but after taking off the access panel cover and detaching a blue wire inside the sound stopped though the light still blinked. This wasn’t your first time tampering with a supply beacon as you knew from this simple gesture it would now fail to broadcast its signal. Retreating back to your safe hiding spot, you figured this would at least stall them a little while as you figured out who currently occupied the outpost.

\--

By this point you figured whoever was inside must be pretty dull as they left the beacon alone for a profound amount of time. At any point over the night they should have checked on it but it was becoming harder to stay awake as your eyes began to feel heavy and your body ached against the hard ground. You thought about how soft you had become from being used to sleeping in a proper bed when the light vibration of your Echo Unit grabbed your attention.

> **HJ:** _Hey kitten._  
>  
> _What’s up Jack?_  
>  
> **HJ:** _Just wanted to check up on you. See how it was going._  
>  
> _It’s alright. Confirmed that someone is occupying the facility by crippling their supply line but otherwise it’s pretty quiet here._  
>  
> _**HJ:** Good news to hear. You miss me?_  
>  
> _Miss is a strong word Jack but yeah I do._  
>  
> **HJ:** _Well I miss you too, cupcake. It's boring up here when you're not around. When you're back I will have to make sure we get some quality time to catch up._  
>  
> _Got a little attached to me? Didn’t know Handsome Jack was the clingy type._  
>  
> **HJ:** _Oh your sooo gonna regret that when your back ;)_  
>  
> _I guess I’ll just have to drag out this mission then to avoid your wrath._  
>  
> **HJ:** _Naw pumpkin. I want you back so try and get the intel quick for me._  
>  
> _Alright. I’ll get back to work then._  
>  
> **HJ:** _Looking forward to seeing you soon._

A small smile crossed your features, you didn’t want to spend any more time than what was necessary for this task and it seemed Jack didn't wanted that either. Looking back at the beacon, you figured that if whoever inside wasn’t willing to come out for more than a few seconds at a time you were gonna need to be ready to force your way in instead.

Finding a closer location to the entrance, you laid in waiting to ambush the next person to leave the facility. It wouldn’t be until the next day's sunlight that you noticed the scrawny kid with another older man step out from the entrance way.

“Where’s the- you idiot, Fritz. You didn’t set up the beacon properly.”

“I swear I did. Really.”

“That doesn’t fix that we aren’t gonna have any supplies for a while. There is only a small window when Hyperion is too busy dealing with bandits to notice us and who knows when we will get another chance to send out another signal.”

“I’m sorry, I know I did it correctly. You got to- “

The kid didn’t get to finish his sentence as he was bathed with blood from the older gentleman. With a fresh bullet hole clean through the man's skull, the body slumped over as he stood frozen in fear. As you lowered your pistol and made your way towards him, he quickly regained his ability to move as he scrambled backwards, tripping and banging his head against the sealed door. As he cradled his head, you stood in front of him with your pistol aimed towards him.

“Anyone else inside? I would recommend not lying if you value your own life.”

He looked up at you with wide eyes as he began to tremble like a leaf.

“I don’t have all day kid. You want to tell me or should I find out myself.”

“One. D-Dr. Falchion, m-m-my boss.”

“And who do you exactly work for?”

“Atlas.”

A gunshot landed close to his head as he let out a slightly girly scream.

“I said don’t lie kid. That was a warning.”

“I’m not lying. W-we worked for Atlas when they were the major company on Pandora. Even after they left we stayed behind.”

Contemplating his answer to be possibly true, you were gonna need some more evidence.

“Get up,” you commanded as he quickly complied. “Open the door.”

He hesitated for a moment as he tried to get his body to stop shaking.

“Look if you want to live, I suggest you do what I say. I don’t need to waste more ammo so long as I get what I need.”

Escorting you inside, you kept the barrel trained tight to him as he led you through the derelict facility. It was small in design as you noticed the outdated research equipment that took up a majority of the space with an older scientist looking over a console. Turning towards you, he squinted as he adjusted his cracked glasses.

“Fritz? Where are the supplies? Who the hell is that?”

“Nobody you should be too worried about old man. Just seeing what you are doing in an abandoned research outpost.”

“That is none of your concern.”

“Not what I want to hear. I can find out with or without you two alive so it's your choice what happens next.”

You stood confidently as the older man tried to eye you up. There was no way either one of them would be able to best you as they were clearly weaker in stature, probably they relied on the dead man outside for protection from the wildlife and locals.

“S-she killed Doug sir,” the kid sheepishly added as you could see the older man feature scrunch in anger.

“What is it you want?”

“Tell me who you work for.”

“We are a part of the few remaining Atlas employees on Pandora.”

“Good. Atlas employees in an old Atlas facility. Makes sense. At least your stories line up, so what are you doing that you don’t want Hyperion to know?”

“There is no way I’m telling you that.”

“Again, don’t need you alive to find out so I’ll ask one more time. What are you doing here?“

“You won't get a answer from me bandit.”

A heavy sigh left your lips as you pointed your gun towards the older man. From the corner of your eye you could see the kid panic a little.

“Please don’t. Dr. Falchion is a brilliant scientist. We were-”

“Don’t you dare say anything Fritz!” the scientist growled.

“But she-”

“Not another word or I’ll-”

He was quickly silenced by your pistol, “You think being stuck on Pandora all this time he would have been smart enough to know when to shut up. Fritz was it?”

“Yes ma'am.”

“I see you value living Fritz so here is the deal. You're gonna pack up all your research, documents, personal belonging, anything of value while I call us a ride. I am going to hand you over to Hyperion and you're gonna tell them all about what you were doing here. In exchange with your cooperation I’ll make sure they don’t kill you and set you up with new employment.”

“Hyperion? But that’s-”

“It’s either that or dying. Even if I left you alone I can’t imagine you would survive on Pandora by yourself more than a week. So I suggest you make your choice now because I’m leaving with your research and you don’t have to be included in my luggage.”

Sitting at one of the consoles, you began dumping different working files and code into a drive as you saw Fritz hurry to collect his things and package up your requests. Keeping a keen eye on him to make sure he didn’t try anything, you hailed the nearest Hyperion outpost for extraction in 30 minutes. Should give you enough time to collect everything of value from this place before heading back to Helios.

Back at the base, you handed Fritz over to security as you gave him one last reassurance that you would help him out if he cooperated before he was dragged away. You were informed that a shuttle was scheduled to depart to Helios that afternoon but the idea of waiting another few hours on this planet was not something you were gonna stand for. Making your way to the main building, you figured it was time to convince whoever was in charge to have the craft leave sooner.

\--

Opening the door to Jack’s office, you could see him sitting with his feet up. When he notices you enter, he quickly jumped from his relaxed position.

“Oh hey…ahh [Y/N].”

As you stood in front of his desk, he gave you a soft smile but you could see how tense his body is. For a second you thought he could have been described as nervous looking but Jack being nervous? That didn’t seem right.

“Everything ok Jack?”

“Of course, why wouldn’t it be? Just didn’t expect you to be here till later tonight.”

Scanning over Jack, your blood hummed lightly from being in his presence. The raw energy that pumped through your veins each day was still hard to control but as it begged you to get closer your mind still warned you that something was off.

“Yah well I got the shuttle to leave a little earlier. I figured it wouldn’t be a problem.”

“Problem? Naw. Just ahhhh leave the intel on my desk will yah? I’m sure you're tired so we can discuss it later.”

As he shuffled through some random reports on his desk, he turned his gaze away. Your lips curled downward as you contemplated why he was acting so strange. This had been the longest time you two had been apart since being on Helios and for him to try and dismiss you so fast made your heart ache slightly. Circling around his desk, curiosity got the better of you as you pushed out his chair slightly as you slid onto his lap.

“You know, it's been a long time since we've seen each other,” you could feel his body stiffen under you but he didn’t pull away. “Are you that eager to get rid of me?”

“Oh come on. You know me. I wouldn’t dream of getting rid of you ghost.”

He gave you his signature smirk but alarm bells in your mind were ringing clear as day now. Jack only called you a ghost when he was giving you an order or he was making a serious point. For him to call you it so casually was definitely not right. Without hesitation, you pulled out your pistol as you aimed it right under his chin, forcing him to tilt his head upwards in shock.

“Whoa whoa whoa, what are you doing?”

“I don’t know what you are but you're certainly not Jack. So I suggest you tell me right now before-”

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you kitten, Hate to get blood on my favorite chair.”

Turning back towards the door, Jack stood in the entryway with a massive grin on his face as he crossed his arms. The frown on your lips deepened as your mind questioned why there were currently two Jacks in his office. As he moved closer to the desk, you still hadn’t come up with a logical reason.

“Care to explain?” you questioned as you lifted an eyebrow.

“Sure but I think ol’ Timtam there is about to pass out due to fright. You should let him go before that happens.”

Turning back to the Jack you currently had pinned to his chair, you removed the gun as he audible gulped. As you stood, he quickly pushed out the chair farther away as he moved to stand beside the other Jack. The newest Jack swung his arm around the man as he pulled him in close before addressing you.

“Say hello to Timothy. My perfect doppelganger. What do you think? Spitting image right?”

“He does look just like you.”

“Spent a lot of money to get him just right. Got to say though, he usually fools people a lot easier.”

“I-I just wasn’t expecting to see her so soon. Sorry Jack,” Timothy shied away slightly under Jack’s hold.

“No sweat kiddo. I knew she figured it out faster than most anyways.” Letting go of Timothy, Jack made his way around the desk towards you. “Now then, I was gonna introduce you two later but guess we are gonna do this now. Timothy here is gonna be working alongside you for a while. Your new partner in crime as it were.”

“Partner? You know I work best alone Jack. And why send me out with your clone anyways? Why not yourself instead?”

“Oh sweetheart I would go with you but things are kinda busy for me right now and I’m gonna need more of your help down on Pandora. Which, by the way, you're doing great but I know how lonely you were without me so this is the next best thing.” Jack placed his hand on your cheek, the instant warm from his touch was something you missed while being on Pandora. “It will only be for a little while, [Y/N]. Once I wake the warrior and wipe those scumbags off my planet then everything will be perfect. I just need you to wait a little longer for me. Can you do that for me kitten?"

“Of course Jack.”

“That’s my girl. I expect you to treat Tim the same as you do for me so try not to scare the kid too much.” He let out a small chuckle that made your body shiver, “now I got some work I need to finish up so why don’t you go relax for a bit and I’ll come find you later.”

Placing a light kiss on your forehead, Jack let go of you as he sat down at his desk. Sighing lightly, you placed the Atlas drive down in front of him as you walked past Timothy towards the exit. He gave you a shy smile as you narrowed your gaze slightly before briskly leaving both men behind. Waiting for the elevator at the other end of the hallway, you contemplated what had just happened. There were clones of Jack? Or at least copies of him. Were there more than one? You guessed this would explain how he manages to control Hyperion as if he was everywhere all the time but does that mean he had used his doppelgangers on you too? Remembering Timothy’s eyes, they were the same brilliant blue and green shade but they were softer than Jack's. They didn’t hold the same daunting presence that Jack usually held you under when he set his gaze on you. Surely you would have noticed if at any point it had been a doppelganger beforehand, just like you did a few minutes ago. The chime of the elevator notified you of its arrival as you stepped inside and turned around to see Jack making his way to join you. No, not Jack, Timothy. Entering the lift with you, he stood tall just like Jack but he gave you enough distance not to be in your personal space. It was slightly unnerving as you had gotten used to Jack always being too close and though your blood still sang out to feel his touch you knew that this wasn’t in fact Jack. The lift was agonizingly slow as you both stayed silent but the one thing you did discern is that he seemed to be just as unsure about the whole situation as you were.

“Sorry about before,” you muttered

“Don’t worry about it. Wouldn’t be the first time a cute girl threatened to kill me. Ahh, I didn’t mean- shot sorry.”

He shuffled slightly as silence once again dominated the small space. Your gaze was fully transfixed on the door as you wish it would open soon to let you escape this awkward exchange.

“So-”

“Look no offense Timothy but I’m a little on edge by all-” you scanned over at him again. “-this. I assume Jack told you who I am?”

“Yah he did. Like he said, I am a perfect copy of him so I have to know about his relationships with people to keep up appearances. I'm sure it's fine for you to call me by my name but you should still call me Jack in public.”

“Sure.”

“But uhh- I figured we could get to know each other since, yah know, we will be working together and all that.” Tim rubbed the back of his neck while watching you from the corner of his eyes. “I mean if you want to. Unless you're too tired, you did just come back from Pandora so I get it.”

Contemplating on what exactly you wanted to do at the current moment, you figured that sleep wasn't going to be an option. Being asked by Jack to work alongside Timothy wasn’t something you expected to face today and it only made you wonder what plans he had hidden for the two of you.

“No, I think I need a drink to wrap my head around this whole situation.”

“Great. You mind if I buy you one then? I think I could use one myself now.”

Escorting you across Helios, Tim brought you to an upscale bar in the Hub of Heroism. The nice thing about being with someone who looked like Jack is that everyone treated him as the real deal. Quickly they all scurried out of the way as the staff brought you to a table that overlooked the whole plaza. As they placed down your requested drinks, you looked out the window towards the countless depictions of Jack outside which did not help the uncomfortable scenario you were in. Taking a few heavy swings, you were already part way into you drink when Tim decided to pipe up.

“So you want to start first with telling me about yourself [Y/N]?”

“I thought you said Jack told you about me.”

“He did but only what I needed to know. Like how you work for him. Sent you down to Pandora to collect a few things. That you guys are...close.” Tim looked away as he took a sip from his drink. “Otherwise he keeps me in the dark on the details.”

“Yah, well there isn’t much to say. I grew up on Pandora, traveled around a lot, I ended up on Helios and have been working for Jack ever since. I don’t really do hobbies unless you count drinking and killing as one.”

“Guess it depends who you ask but in our line of work, yeah I guess they count. Though he told me you're good with daggers?”

You perked up a little from the thought of Jack telling others of your skills. “Yah. It’s what I prefer if I have the option.”

“How do you manage that? Isn’t bringing a knife to a gun fight like, you know, a bad idea?”

“A girl got to have a little fun somewhere. Just seems more real than finishing someone off with a quick bullet.”

Tim brought a hand up to his face as he groaned lightly. “Gods, it's like everyone that works under Jack is a homicidal maniac with a death wish.“

“What? You're telling me you aren't one too?”

“Me? No not really but I got to be Jack so it just comes with the job. You don't really get any work done if you're not covered in blood and gore by the end of the day,” he let out a hushed breath as he leaned back into his seat. "But I guess there was no way you would be just some normal person being so close to Jack. None of us ever are."

Timothy was an interesting guy, for one he was easy to read compared to Jack. He didn’t seem to hide his true self when it was safe which only enticed you to know more.

“Why did you agree to look like him?”

“Well, I managed to get myself stuck with a ton of student loans back when I was younger. I didn’t really have any options so when I met Jack he offered me a way to pay them off. Now I'm stuck being him till my contact is up instead.”

“But you don’t like it.”

“I mean, it has its ups and downs. At first it was amazing, getting to be the most powerful man in the universe has a lot of benefits but I do miss what I used to look like. Especially the freckles.”

The image of Jack with freckles gave you a small chuckle. There was no way that man could be intimidating with a light dusting of specks across his cheeks but imagining them on Timothy didn’t seem so far fetched.

“So why do you work for Jack?” his question brought you back from your thoughts.

“Are you trying to question my loyalty to him?”

“No no no. I'm just curious, is all. Don’t answer if you don’t want to.”

“Jack provides me with everything. I don’t-”

“Not what he has made you think. Why are you actually working for him?”

You froze for a second, his features took on a more serious demeanor as if he knew there was more to it than that. Lowering your gaze to your drink, you questioned how long it had been since you thought about what exactly brought you to Jack. Remembering the life you left behind made all the emotions you buried deep down inside yourself surface once more.

“My sister. She is a Hyperion scientist. I agreed to work for Jack to keep her safe but that's all in the past. It doesn’t matter.”

Looking back at Tim, his mix-matched eyes were captivating just like Jack’s but they seemed apologetic as they gazed back. He only hummed in acknowledgment, knowing that pushing the subject further wasn’t a good idea. Taking another sip from your drink, Tim visibly sighed as he lifted his own drink.

“I guess we both got stuck in the vortex that is Handsome Jack.”

“That’s one way to put it,” you chuckled softly.

“I know this isn't ideal for you but I hope we can still be friends at least.” the glass he held to his lips froze as he stuttered. “o-obviously not the same relationship as what you have with Jack but ahhh you know. Since we will be together for a bit and all that - ugh, what am I trying to say.”

A genuine smile crossed your lips, Timothy was nothing like Jack. He was a nervous wreck that seemed to stubble his way through life. You figured that he was once a sweet innocent kid before Jack got his hands on him though it was nice to see that it wasn’t completely corrupted by his influence.

“It's alright. My relationship with Jack is...complicated. I don’t even know how to describe it.”

“I’m pretty sure he only does complicated relationships. It's exhausting trying to keep it all straight.”

“Humm yeah, I don’t envy you.”

As you both chuckled at your predicaments, you were actually enjoying your time with Tim when a sheepish employee approached the table.

“Excuse me, Handsome Jack. If I may.”

“What the hell do you want pip-squeak?” ‘Jack’ answered.

“S-sir, I have a important report that I need-”

“Let me stop you right there kiddo. I’m not dealing with whatever it is you got so I need to run along because if you couldn’t tell I am currently busy.”

“But sir-”

“What part of I’m busy did you not understand? God why do I hire such morons. Now get the hell out of my sight before I blow your brains out and ruin my date.”

Timothy let out a low growl, it was like from the flip of a switch Jack was suddenly the one across from you. The authority in his voice made the lingering heat in your veins raised slightly only for you to quickly crush the sudden attraction. Cursing under your breath, you watched as the employee hastily left with his tail between his legs.

Brushing a hand through his hair, Tim let out a heavy sigh, “sorry about that. We should go, I don’t like being out in public for too long when I don’t need to be.”

“Oh- yeah sure”

Finishing your drink, you left with Timothy as he walked you back to Jack’s suite. Replaying the last interaction, your mind was having a hard time fathoming what you witnessed. How such a sweet guy like Timothy could easily become a tyrant like Jack was shocking but really you shouldn’t have been so surprised. After all, that's what it would take to be a perfect duplicate of Handsome Jack.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, thanks for taking the time to read. Let me know of any errors or helpful criticism.  
> \--  
> Tim is finally here! I'm my mind Tim is actually a good Handsome Jack when we needs to be but is still is a sweet goof ball else wise.


	11. Chapter 11

The information Fritz provided Hyperion seemed to be an endless gold mine to Jack. Before the bankruptcy of the Atlas corporation, the company funded and developed a secret project known as the Gortys Project. An advanced robotics system that would assist in the finding of Vaults all across Pandora. For the past few years, the three employees you found had been working on restoring the project, collecting abandoned research from several locations. They had managed to salvage quite a bit of key data and even a crucial upgrade component for the robot but Fritz had reported that they had not successfully located the Gortys Core which was a vital piece of the project.

Sitting on the living room sofa, you watched as Jack paced back and forth in front of you. His gaze was transfixed on the Atlas component he held that was U-shaped in design with a single floating sphere. As he examined it, he couldn’t hide how ecstatic he was.

“This is just too good! Not only will I be able to control the Warrior but now I’ll be able to locate all the Vaults on Pandora with this ‘Gortys’.” Setting down the piece on a nearby table, he let out a deep chuckle, “I can’t wait to see the look on those smug Vault Hunter’s faces when they find out how insignificant their little rebellion against me is. Can’t stop the king baby.”

“I guess this is good news for you then Jack.”

“Am I detecting a little bit of jealousy there?”

“Not at all. I’m just along for the ride.”

“Don’t say that kitten. You’re still an integral part of my plan. This just makes this easier for us in the long run. Together, we are gonna bring peace to Pandora.”

You couldn't help but frown a little at his statement. From all the years you spent traveling Pandora, you couldn't see what was worth saving.

“I just don’t understand. Even if you managed to wipe out every vile inhabitant on that planet, it's corrupt down to its core. You are better off just blowing it all up and finding somewhere else that isn’t a lost cause.”

“You're not thinking of the big picture [Y/N]. Sure it would be easy to just go find a better suited planet that isn’t tainted by bandits.” Jack stood in front of you as he placed his hands on his hips, “but heroes don’t take the easy route. I’m saving this world so that people like you have a brighter future. If anything, you should thank me for doing that a little early for you huh?”

“Yah. My life before was definitely misguided and selfish.”

“Right? And I showed you that. I was the one that gave you a reason to use your potential. A cause worth getting behind.”

Jack had indeed put your talents to use as you helped him achieve his ends. Sometimes you even caught yourself thinking about what those ends even meant. Maybe there was other innocent souls like Jenna that needed rescuing from Pandora’s cruel grasp. If anyone could save them it was Jack but how do you do that exactly?

“So when would you open the Vault? What happens after?”

“Don’t worry your pretty little head about all that. Everything is falling into place and it will only be a matter of time now.“

“You don't trust me to know?” you gave Jack an disconcerted look.

“Oh kitten. I trust that you will listen when you need to. That's all you ever need to worry about.”

Suddenly Jack turned away as he headed towards the entrance of his suite.

“Jack? Where are you going?”

“A hero never rests kitten. I need to get back to work so don’t wait up for me.”

Before you had time to respond, Jack had already exited the suite leaving you alone once again. Your heart sank slightly as you tried to console yourself. This wasn’t the first time he abruptly left, hell it definitely wasn’t going to be the last but you recalled him saying he was going to make up lost time from when you were on Pandora and it worried you that maybe he lied.

\--

Standing at the shuttle bay on Helios, your muscles felt stiff as you rolled your shoulders. You were having trouble sleeping the last few days as Jack was never around, always preoccupied with his work. Pulling out your small container of pills, you took your daily dosage while hoping that when you return to Helios next he would be less focused on his conquest against the Vault Hunters and able to spend some proper time with you.

As you stood there with your eyes closed once again relishing in the warming sensation of the drug, a large hand clasped onto your sore shoulder as you jumped at the sudden sting. Swiftly pulling away, you turned to see Timothy with his hands lifted in defense as you glared daggers at him.

“Whoa there. Didn't mean to scare you.”

“You didn't scare me, I just wasn't paying attention.”

“Mhmm sure. Are you ready to go then?”

You let a small huff at his remark, “Yah. Let’s go.”

The trip was quiet as you landed on Pandora and drove off into the wasteland. With the Vault Hunters still on the rampage, Jack had an endless stream of tasks for you to tackle. Mind you, it was better than being stuck on Helios with nothing to do but you did find yourself missing Jack's company.

Currently looking through a sniper scope, you were well hidden in a rickety tower on the outside of a small mining town. Timothy was your focus as he stood in the middle with the town’s leader while you listened to their conversation through his ECHO Unit.

_"So let me get this straight. You wasted my time to come all the way down here to beg for me to continue supplying your crummy town?"_

_“Sir please. We need Hyperion’s help to stay safe.”_

_“Are you forgetting your eridium mine is all dried up, dum-dum? I’m not gonna waste my resources if you got nothing to offer in return.”_

_“But we will be dead within the week. You promised us that you would give us protection if we helped you. You can’t just leave us.”_

_“Oh you’ll find I quite can. Guess it's time to get your affairs in order.“_

_“You- You-”_

_“Spit it out cupcake, I don’t have all day.”_

_“You're a bastard Jack!”_

He draws out his pistol only to half way when a thunderous _crack_ rings out and he drops the gun in pain. The end of your sniper barrel smoked lightly as you lined up another shot. The bandit clenched his hand tightly while blood started pouring out the new hole in his hand.

_“That's not a smart idea kiddo. You honestly think I came here alone? Actually I could have since you're all so pathetic but I’m not really in the mood to get my hands dirty.”_

_“Someone will end your reign of terror. Mark my words.”_

_“Yah yah. Your insults aren’t anything I haven't heard before but it still hurts yah know. Look I think I’m about to cry.”_

As Tim mocked the bandit leader, you could see the desperate man gaze up towards a nearby building. Shifting your view, you sported a few dark figures moving carefully out of sight along the building rooftops. Taking a deep breath and holding it, you opened fire as you picked off each one before they could fully react. Tim’s ECHO picked up their distant screaming as they scrambled to get to safety. As your crosshair landed on the last bandit, he quickly jumped down between the buildings into an adjacent alleyway before you could pull the trigger.

“Tim, your nine o’clock”

Without hesitation, Tim drew his own pistol as he shot the bandit that had escaped your vision.

_“Anyone else want to try something stupid? No? Good.”_

The leader sunk to his knees in defeat as you watched Tim head towards the town’s exit. Waiting till he was at a safe distance away, you packed up your gear as you joined him back at your vehicle.

“Nice shooting back there [Y/N]. You definitely know your way around a gun.”

“Thanks. You make a pretty convincing Jack huh?”

“Why does that feel more like an insult than a complement?” Tim pouted as he crossed his arms.

“It's a complement. It can’t be easy imitating him.”

“Takes a lot of practice. I made a lot of mistakes in the past but I got the hang of it after a while.”

“Well, I admire your dedication. Next time you will have to impress me with your own combat skills though.”

“Oh I got lots of unique skills that I'm sure you would like pumpkin. Damn it- sorry It's hard to get out of character once I start.”

Tim rubbed the back of his neck as you couldn’t help but let out a small chuckle from his embarrassment.

“It’s alright. Nothing I probably haven't heard before from Jack. You don't have to apologize.”

“You sure? I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.”

“Like I said, heard it all before. It takes more than that to scare me away Tim.”

“Ok. Yah. Right,” Tim straightened his attire as he cleared his throat, “we better get going to the next location nightfall.”

Darkness had overtake the land when you and Tim finally decided to find a safe place to camp for the night. After performing various tasks on Jack’s behalf, your rest was well deserved but sleep did not find you. As you sat on a rickety porch of an abandoned farming house, you gazed up at the Helios. In all your years on Pandora you had never taken the time to really view it property. It glowed with the radiance of Elpis behind it as it towered over the world. Maybe once you had thought of it as an eye sore but now it is one of the few beautiful things worth seeing on Pandora.

Through your restlessness, your mind wandered back to Jack. You contemplated if his recent lack of attention to you would become a habit, it seemed like there was no end in sight to his mission to save Pandora as each time you would ask about his plans he would only tell you not to worry or that he was close. It was becoming harder to believe his words as you felt more alone than you ever did before meeting Jack but that was one of the reasons he paired you with Tim, to help temper the loneliness. Jack must have known how well it would work out because it felt almost natural to work alongside him. Sometimes you caught yourself forgetting that it wasn’t actually Jack and that Timothy was a well accomplished Vault Hunter himself. It was really a perfect match of talents as ‘Handsome Jack’ would distract the enemies focus while you breached their defenses, making you an unstoppable force.

“Could sleep either huh?”

The sound of creaking wood emanated as Tim took a seat beside you. As you lowered your gaze to him, he gave you a warm smile that sparked a small rush of heat in your veins. 

“I’ve been having some trouble lately but I've never slept well on Pandora to begin with. Never know when a wild bandit or creature will sneak up on you as you rest.”

“You really don't like being on Pandora, do yah?”

“Pretty sure this is the worst possible hell in the universe and unfortunately I was born on it. So no, I don't like being here.”

“Have you been anywhere else before? Other than Helios that is. What about Elpis?”

“No. I used to stare at Elpis from Jack's office to distract myself. I would like to go one day.”

“Well maybe we can go visit it together soon. I spent quite a bit of time there back in my Vault hunting days. I could show you around, take you to some of the nicer places so we can avoid the dangerous areas.”

“Afraid of a little danger?”

“No. Just rather avoid the sheer cliff sides into impending doom while you're floating out of control in low gravity.”

“That actually sounds like fun.”

“Are you crazy? That is the complete opposite of fun.”

“Mhmm well you gave me the idea of shooting bandits as I’m rocketing through the air so you're gonna have to make good on your word and take me there.”

Tim let out a heavy sigh as he reflected on your answer, "fine but I’m keeping my feet close to the ground.”

“What, are you telling me you have a fear of heights?”

“Look, no matter how many times Jack has made me climb a tall building or jumped off a massive cliff I will always be nauseous. You willing to take care of me as I puke my guts out as we soar majestically through the air? Yah didn’t think so.”

A sudden burst of laughter left your lips as you imagined that scenario, “Alright alright, we can keep your feet on the ground. I wouldn’t want my first memory of Elpis to be ruined by you being sick. Maybe on the third or fourth trip.”

Tim narrowed his eyes on you as you gave him a knowing smirk. This was nice, you had only known Timothy for a short amount of time but you found it easy to talk to him. Without the worry of Jack killing him, it was good to finally find someone other than Jack to talk to. Even if he looked and sometimes acted like Jack he was never that to you. This was Timothy, a sweet and caring guy who had been pulled through unimaginable trials and nightmares only to survive the odds. As you passed the time by recounting different adventures back and forth, you finished telling your tale as you saw Tim looking at you with soft eyes.

“You know, I think we make a pretty good team.”

His words were genuine, the way you complemented each other's skill sets in battle made you even question if you had paired up with Jack if it could even be close to the same.

You smiled at the thought, “I think so too.”

\--

Something was dreadfully wrong. You had been back on Helios for a few days now but suddenly everything changed in the blink of an eye. When you stepped into Jack’s office, the entire room was a disaster. Like a giant hurricane had enveloped the whole space as furniture and décor was shredded and thrown in all directions. As your vision landed on Jack, he sat at his desk with his hands laced under his chin. His blue and green eyes glowed in the darkened space as blood was splattered on the exposed surfaces from the lifeless bodies strewn around in the chaos.

“Jack?” you hated how timid your voice sounded as it echoed through the room.

“Well well kitten. Seems you missed out on all the fun,” his voice was eerily calm based on the carnage around him.

“Do you want me to go?”

“No. Why don’t you be a dear and come over here.”

As you stood in front of Jack, you noticed the crimson color that stained his hands, “are you injured?”

“No but I want you to stay quiet and only answer my questions. You got that ghost?"

Following his orders, you nodded. Something about Jack wasn’t right, his eyes were frightening as they pierced into you.

“So tell me. Have I given you everything you desire? Provided you with everything you could ever need. Gave you a place to call home other than that filth ridden planet right? After all, you were nothing before me.”

You froze in shock to his words, the way he spoke sent alarm bells screaming for you to run. What exactly happened here? What had you stumbled into? What was Jack looking to get from you.

“Don’t be afraid, kitten. Be honest.”

His voice was cold as it sent a shiver down your spine, “I- Yes you have.”

“But you want more, don't you?“

“I don’t understand where this is coming from Jack.”

“No? Can you honestly say that you haven’t thought about it? How Handsome Jack, me, the most powerful person in the universe could be used to get what you want.”

“I can’t say I have. Jack what is going on?”

“Ah-ah-ah. I didn’t say you could ask your own questions. You get one warning cupcake.” Jack stood up from his desk as he began to circle around you. “But back to the issue at hand. There must be something you want. Everyone else does, so why don’t you tell me.”

“I just want to help you Jack.”

“Really? Is that why you're here?”

“You know it's more complicated than that.”

“Oh sweetheart. You've been as loyal as ever but deep down you're no different that those Vault Hunters aren't you.”

“Don’t compare me to those bandits,” your lips snarled at the statement.

“You think you're better than them cupcake?”

“I know I am. Why else would you keep me if I’m not.”

It was quiet as Jack scanned you for the truth, his gaze felt heavier than it had ever been before. As if any false move would set him off into another catastrophic tirade that would send him spiraling out of control. Your breath hitched slightly as fear slowly creeped into your mind.

“Jack please. I don't know what is happening but I have never once disobeyed you since my last mistake with Jenna. You made me into who I am. I’m no longer some ghost on Pandora. I only wish to help you.”

You waited patiently as Jack didn’t move, only watching you with interest as he maniacally thought out his next move.

“Please Jack just let me help you. Tell me what’s going on.”

“You're too late." He turned his back towards you but you could see his anger resurfacing. "Those bandits are going to pay for what they did. I'm gonna kill them all.”

“What are you talking about?”

Hot searing pain erupted from your palm as you clutched it tightly, your knees buckled as you let out a cry of anguish from the sudden intrusion. A pain you had long forgotten radiated from your arm as the chip embedded inside once again sprang to life. Staring up at Jack, you felt yourself question why this was happening.

“What did I just say about asking questions?”

“J-jack, your killing yourself chasing after those bandits and the stupid Vaults. You need to stop.”

The pain intensified as you struggled to breath. The agony you felt burned more than the constant heat in your veins ever did as you kneeled before Jack.

“You've forgotten your place ghost. You don't get to tell me what to do. Nobody gets to tell ME what to do. You are all beneath me.“ His voice was sharp as it cut into your soul, “but I guess this is partially my fault for letting you get so comfortable. Let me correct that mistake.”

\--

Laying down in your apartment, your blood violently stirred as you tried to relax. For the last few days, Jack had essentially removed you from his presence. Revoking your access to his office and his suite, leaving you in unending agony as the drug cried out for relief. With no outlet to soothe the constant ache, you winced as the sharp pain berated your flesh. It wasn’t nearly as bad as when you were without the drug in your system but it was still an unpleasant experience all the same.

Your argument with Jack weighed heavy on your mind, maybe you had overstepped your bounds but weren’t you close enough now that he shouldn’t have treated you like that? It wasn’t like you were some wild bandit or untrustworthy prisoner. You had remained at his side for so long it hurt to see him question your motives. Isn't this what he wanted? For you to help him achieve peace on Pandora? Why didn't he always make things more difficult than it needed to be. Regardless of what Jack wanted, you settled on the fact that you would have to endure this pain; you refused to crawl back to him. As your thoughts became heated, you were disrupted by the sound of your Echo Unit receiving a message.

> **Tim** : Can I come over?  
>  
> When?  
>  
> **Tim** : Right now. I’m outside your door.

You snarled slightly at the message, you didn’t want to see Jack’s face even if it was Tim. The anger that festered inside you burned brightly, fueled by the constant pain as you got up from your resting place. Your body protested at the excess movement as you opened the door aggressively, Timothy stood on the other side dressed in a bright yellow hoodie and brown leather jacket. The hood was pulled up over his head as his hands were tucked into the pockets of his jacket. As your eyes met, he gave you a small smile but you could see it was forced. His lips trembled as they wished to give up the farce while his mix-matches eyes told you how tired he was.

“Hey,” his voice was barely a whisper. “Is it alright if I come in?”

For a moment you wished that you had ignored Tim and left him outside alone. Your blood was now agonizing sharp at the sight of Jack but seeing how broken he was you were happy you didn’t. Attempting to calm your anger, you moved out of the way as Tim stepped inside while removing his hood.

“Pretty nice apartment you got. Definitely worse places on Helios.”

“Cut to the chase, Tim. Why are you here?”

As you both stood in silence, you avoided each other's gaze as you turned your head towards the nearest wall while Tim looked down at the floor. It was clear both of you were fighting against some sort of inner demon that threatens to consume you both.

“I- I'm not even sure. Something bad happened on Pandora a few days ago. Those Vault Hunters, they- I wasn't-“ he struggled as he kept his gaze low. “I haven't been able to sleep. Just been wandering around when I heard you fought with Jack. I just wound up at your door without really thinking.”

Tim looked like he was hurting, his chest slightly heaved as he remembered something painful. He struggled for a moment to keep calm before taking a deep breath and shutting his eyes.

“Is it the same thing Jack is mad about?" you asked as softly as you could manage.

“Yes.”

“But you can't tell me the reason why can you.”

“No I can't.”

This was normal by now, there were too many secrets in this place. Jack purposely kept you in the dark about everything and at first you couldn't care less about it but at some point you had started to. Jack's goal is to save Pandora from its wickedness and he made it abundantly clear he was going to use you to achieve his end but for you to follow around blindly all the time felt the same as when you searched for Jenna. The constant state of not knowing made you grit your teeth at the frustration as the heat in your veins flared. It wasn’t until Tim’s low voice interrupted your thoughts that you turned your gaze back to him.

“I just- I think I don't want to be alone for a little while but if you want me to go-”

“No. No it's fine. Sorry I'm just not myself right now.”

“Are you ok?”

“It's fine.”

“When was the last time you saw jack?”

“Why does that-”

“Just answer the question kitten. Please.”

Your eyes narrowed as he quietly cursed himself at what he just said but he matched your gaze all the same, waiting for the answer. Your shoulders drop slightly as you let out a heavy breath.

“Five days ago. I haven't left my apartment since we fought.”

“He hasn't asked for you at all?”

“No.”

You bit your tongue at how sharp you answered his questions. The pain in your body was only getting worse the longer you were close to Timothy, it pulsed harshly as you tried to hide your discomfort.

“Maybe you should go. I’m not really good company.”

“It hurts, doesn't it?”

“Wha-”

“The drug. The stuff he is making you take.”

Of course Timothy knew you were taking the drug. You had never mentioned it to him nor used it in his presence but Jack would have informed him at someone point.

“It's like every inch of skin is ice cold but my veins are constantly on fire. Usually the sensation isn't this bad but it's hard to ignore now.”

“Is there something I can do to help?”

Thinking about his offer you wonder if Timothy even could, after all he was a duplicate of Jack. You just needed something, anything that would help soothe the ache from missing Jack. Recalling how his touches gave you instant gratification to the drugs effects as it hummed at his presence. In a way it also sang when Timothy was around but it was easier to control the urge than with the real Jack.

“Could I just umm- hold your hand for a bit?”

Tim took a quickened breath as his eyes didn’t hide his sudden shock. At first you wondered why he gave such a reaction when you realized that you just asked Tim for intimacy even if it was a small gesture. You could feel your body temperature rise at the sheer embarrassment of your words.

"That was a weird thing to say. I'm sorry I-"

Heavy arms wrapped around you as you were pulled into a familiar chest. Tim's embrace was warm like Jacks but he held you delicately rather than the usually possessive nature Jack did.

"It's ok [Y/N]. I don't want you to continue to suffer because of Jack. I want to help you. There's nothing weird about it."

As Timothy whispered into your ear, you could feel his hold on you slightly tightened as if he was worried you would leave. Grasping onto his jacket you leaned into his touch, the uncomfortable feeling in your veins finally began to subside as you let out a shaky breath. You hated this, it was becoming overwhelming again. To be so starved for relief from the drug made you irritated by how helpless you were to stop it. When did things get so bad? Was it all because of what those Vault Hunters did that made it so you had suffered or was this actually your fault? You could feel tears lightly prick the side of your eyes as you buried you head into Tim’s shoulder.

“He has to be doing it for a reason right? I must have done something wrong.”

“Is that truly what you believe? That he left you in pain because of something you did?”

“It has to be. Why else would he leave me alone.”

Tim remained silent as he softly placed a hand on your head. In his arms, you felt as if all the chaos of the world was suddenly washed away as your blood cooled to a low hum. You felt safe in his embrace as your body relaxed in turn with Timothy’s. You both needed this, someone else to share the pain with. Without words, you provided each other with the comfort you both desired to overcome your recent unspoken misfortunes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, thanks for taking the time to read. Please let me know of any errors or helpful criticism.


	12. Chapter 12

You found yourself standing in the inky void of space, stars flickered and shone dimly all around you against its black canvas. As you behold their beauty, you reflected on how you always enjoyed this view. The countless possibilities it held as it told you how insignificant you were in the grand scheme of the universe. The way it made you feel so small in its presence, how completely alone you truly were. It was like your actions didn’t matter, your hardships didn’t matter, you didn’t matter.

A sudden ache of pain arose from your chest as the crushing weight of all your failures manifested around you. All the mistakes you had made in your life time inflicted your body like daggers as each one meticulously carved into you. You wanted to scream, cry out in agony for help but you knew all these things were your doing. You made all these mistakes, these errors in judgement, you deserved their pain. As you sunk into the endless abyss of your torment, you closed your eyes in acceptance until a warm sensation graced your skin. It was light and feathery as you peered out to see her standing before you.

Jenna's smile reminded you about all the things you missed about her. That pure innocence that you wish you had protected when you were younger. Tears began to roll down your face as she brushed them away gently, you couldn’t help the overwhelming emotions that burst from you at the mere sight of her.

“I’m so sorry. I wasn’t strong enough. I couldn’t-”

She placed a finger on your lips, “Shh [Y/N]. It’s alright. I never blamed you. Not even once.”

Her words were soft as you couldn't focus on anything else. There was so much you wanted to say, so much you wanted to know but she was here with you now and that was all that really mattered. You stared at her longingly as Jenna turned her gaze away. Following her sight, a bright light in the distance emanated as you could make out the tall silhouette of a man standing in the center.

“They are waiting for you.”

Quickly turning back to Jenna, you grabbed her hand. “I’m not leaving you again.”

“I’ll always be with you [Y/N]. You aren’t alone anymore.”

She gave you another warm smile as you returned it back in kind. It was true wasn’t it, you weren’t alone anymore.

Waking up in your own bed, you felt more renewed than you had been in days. Like some sort of weight had been lifted as you stretched your relaxed muscles. You noticed that you were still dressed in the same clothes as yesterday as you wondered when you even went to bed. Exiting your bedroom, you were greeted by Timothy cooking over the stove in your kitchen.

“Pancakes?”

“[Y/N]. ah- good morning. It was the only thing I could think of and I figured I would make us some breakfast.”

“You ended up staying the night here?”

“I slept on your couch. Hope that was ok. You fell asleep pretty early on me so I didn’t get a chance to ask if-”

“It’s alright Tim. You're welcome over any time in my books.”

You both understood the reason why you implied someone else might not agree. At any moment Jack could intervene and force you two to never see eachother again. You shake your head to try and dismiss all the thoughts of what Jack could do as you watched Timothy flip over one of the pancakes.

“Do you feel any better?”

“Actually, yeah. You?”

“Yeah. Looks like we both were able to get the rest we needed.”

Tim handed you a plate with a few fluffy pancakes as you sat down on your small couch. Moving a spare pillow and blanket off to the side to make more space, you figure Tim had used them during his sleep over. As you staring at your plate, you couldn’t help but remember the time you were at Opportunity with Jack. How long had it been since you spent time with him like that. You actually couldn’t remember since his and your work always took priority. As Timothy sat beside you with a plate of his own he saw that your food was untouched.

“Something wrong?”

“Sorry, I was just remembering the time Jack made me pancakes like this.”

“Yah well he was the one that taught me. Pretty sure he still holds a grudge against me for almost burning down his kitchen the first time I tried to cook.”

“But that must have been years ago, right? I’m sure he has forgotten it by now.”

“No, I'm positive he still remembers. I should know, I am him after all.”

Taking a bite they tasted heavenly, the right mixture of fluff and sweetness that definitely could rival Jack’s own cooking. Even if both men were very similar you could still see the ways they were different. While Jack preferred to drenched his pancakes with surgery syrup, you noted that Tim liked to use just a dab of butter.

“You know you aren't him right? You're your own person.”

“Kinda hard to say that when you literally look and sound just like him.”

It all happened too fast, you yanked Timothy’s plate out of his hands and placed both servings down on the nearby coffee table. He went to protest when you placed your hands on each side of his face, forcing him to look at you. Neither of you moved for a moment as you furrowed your brow.

“Timothy. You are not Handsome Jack. Maybe you can fool everyone else but you can’t fool me. I can see that you are so much more than what he is. You need to remember that.”

He shut his eyes as he let out a deep breath, “fine but only if you believe that in yourself too.”

“What?” your grip lighted as you went to withdraw from Tim only for him to catched your hands with his own.

“He’s done the same thing to you too. Made you something you're not.”

“No. I’ve always been this. I made myself this way. Jack just found a way to use it for something.”

“But it's not something you want. It's what Jack wants. You told me that [Y/N].”

“Tim-”

“It’s just the same as what he has done to me. Can’t you see he is just using us both?”

“That's not true. He-”

You stop yourself as you lock eyes with Timothy, his stern but brilliant eyes told you how serious he was. Every time you saw them you couldn’t believe how different they were from Jacks. You never once felt intimidated or fearful under their gaze, even if they shared the same flawless mask of Handsome Jack, they were not comparable.

You barely noticed how close you two had gotten till both your ECHO Units chimed in unison. Instantly you both released your hold on one other as you awkwardly gave each other more personal space. As you read the newest message from Jack to come to his office, you looked over at Tim who also was reading his own message. You could swear his ears were a slight shade redder than before as you let out a small sigh.

“I guess we shouldn’t keep him waiting.”

“Right,” Timothy quickly stood up as you watched him head towards the door. Placing both plates back in the kitchen, you went to join him as you headed to Jack’s office.

The trip was quiet as you and Timothy didn’t speak the whole journey up. Even standing before Jack you both stood at the far ends of his desk, trying to give some distance without being suspicious.

“Well if it isn’t my two favorite employees,” Jack's mood was far happier than the last time you had spoken. You still had questions on what even happened last time but you knew it was unwise to ever bring them up. “I hope you both had a good few days off because it's time to get back to work.”

“What do you need us to do Jack.” Tim’s voice was strangely colder that usual as he crossed his arms in front.

“You're going back down to Pandora. We’ve got lots to do and not a lot of time so don’t plan on being able to come back to Helios anytime soon.”

As both men exchanged the details of the plans ahead, you had a hard time focusing. Could Tim have been telling you the truth that Jack was using you? Sure he technically used you by working for him but you let that happen. Your actions were your own even with the drugs influence that emplified your abilities. It was only a side-effect that it kept you bound to Jack’s side, he cared for you. Didn’t he?

“Kitten?” Jack’s voice echoed as you quickly snapped to attention.

“Ah- sorry. I just-”

“Have you not been able to get enough sleep without me?”

“Among other things.”

You hate to admit it but it was hard not to want to be with Jack. Your blood vibrated fearsomely in your veins day in and day out. It never ended as you struggled against the constant ache without him. Jack circled around his desk as he placed a hand on your cheek, the heat inside you radiated from the simple touch.

“I know it’s hard pumpkin but you need to hang in there for me. It will be all over soon.”

“Yes Jack. I know.”

“Good. That's why you’re my favorite.”

He pulled you in closer as his other hand wrapped around you. His lips graced your own as the fiery relief of his touch washed over you. It was suffocating, all consuming yet you yearn for more. You leaned into him hungrily as you silently pleaded for attention while his kiss dominated your senses. When he finally released you, it felt all too short yet left you gasping for air. As you looked up at him through your lashes, you could see the daunting nature of his eyes upon you once more.

“Do me proud, kitten.”

\--

The last three days on Pandora have been busy and chaotic. Constantly on the move, you and Timothy traveled all across Pandora to bolster Hyperion's influence in key areas in an effort to stop the Crimson Raiders advancements. You barely had time to relax as your vehicle was currently parked outside one of the many Hyperion outposts stationed on Pandora. Timothy had stepped inside to get another round of supplies as you patiently waited in the passenger seat for his return. With your feet placed up on the dashboard, you were cleaning the blood off your daggers when your ECHO Unit began to ring.

“What’s up Jack?”

_“Grab Timtam and get your asses to The Dusts. We got an emergency on our hands.”_

The urgency in his voice made you instantly give him your full attention. “Ok. What do you need?”

_“A rogue scientist left one of the research bases a few hours ago with a shit ton of data. Apparently they were in contact with the Crimson Raiders and we can’t let them get their greedy little hands on that intel. I’m sending you coordinates now of his last known location.”_

“Got it. I’ll let you know soon as we find him.”

_“Make it quick kitten. I want that traitor back. Alive.”_

After the call ended, you swiftly hailed Timothy to get back to the vehicle as you sped off towards The Dusts. When you arrived at the coordinates Jack sent, you found an abandoned Hyperion vehicle jammed on a mound of rocks. With no signs of any struggle or conflict, you figured the idiot got himself stuck from his own incompetence when he fled from the research facility.

“The engine is still warm so it couldn’t have been too long ago. You see anything?” Timothy had circled around the vehicle as you searched the surrounding desert landscape.

“There is a set of tracks that lead northwards. Without proper transport he probably hasn’t gotten too far but there isn’t much out that way. Just an old train station.”

“Well if he is working with the Crimson Raiders it could be their meeting point. We should hurry.”

Driving north, you arrived shortly at the station you had mentioned. Consisting of only a metal platform and adjacent warehouse, this place was deserted long ago by Hyperion. As you hopped out the passenger side door, the dust slightly picked up at the impact of your boots. You noticed how quiet it was as you surveyed the area, no signs of the scientist, no signs of bandits, and no signs of any Crimson Raiders.

Pulling out your Hyperion issued submachine gun, you and Timothy split up as you began to scout the area. A gentle breeze blew through the area as loose metal _creaked_ loudly, a fine layer of sand coated the unnatural structure as you circled around the side. Keeping a keen eye for signs of life, you noticed a indent in the sand. An imprint of something that had been laying there before but recently moved from its resting place. As you searched for the object, you spotted a large metal sheet now pressed against the building that looked out of place comparatively to its surroundings. Quietly moving it aside, it revealed an entrance into the condemned building as you descended inside.

It was dark as only small rays of light penetrated the area through the various cracks and holes that littered the outer walls. As you let your eyes adjust, you found yourself in a compact room filled with sand from years of exposure to the elements as a man in a torn scientist uniform stood at the other end. He was quietly muttering to himself as he failed to notice your entrance.

“I assume you're the Hyperion scientist we are looking for?”

“Oh thank goodness you're finally here. Wait- Y-your not one of the Vault Hunters.”

“Good observation there kiddo. She works for me.” Tim stepped out of the shadows behind you as the man froze. The sheer terror on his face made it look like his heart had stopped completely at the sight of Handsome Jack.

“No, no, no. S-stay back!” the scientist grabbed a nearby pistol as he pointed it towards Tim. His hands were clearly shaking as he trembled in fear.

“Come on. Don’t make this worse for yourself than it already is.”

The scientist fired a shot as it clearly missed its target. Timothy stood unmoving as you rushed forward towards the man, disarming him quickly as you pulled his arm behind his back harshly.

“No! Let go of me,” he pulled against your hold to no avail.

“I got to say, you got some guts to steal from me and think you would get away with it.”

“P-please don’t.”

“Don’t what? Don’t kill you? Oh you don’t have to worry about that. See I still have use for you so you're not going anywhere.”

“Please, someone help. Help!” He kicked and screamed against you as you tighten your grip, forcing him to stop as he cried out in pain.

"No one else is here but us dummy. It's no use.”

“Help. Please, anyone!”

“Ugh will you just shut up already. Kitten, make him quiet.”

Letting go of your hold, the man stumbled forward unceremoniously as he tried to pick himself back up. Catching him, you turned him around towards you as your fist swiftly connected with his lower abdomen. He gasped for air before fluttering his eyes closed and going limp in your arms. As you held him there, you went to adjust to the additional weight when suddenly Tim was beside you as he flung the unconscious man over his shoulder.

“Up yah go. Nice work [Y/N], grab his stuff and meet me outside.”

Tim exited the building with his new cargo as you collected up the few items scattered about. Pocketing the discarded pistol, you found a duffle bag full of different documents, schematics and computer drives all haphazardly shoved inside. If the Crimson Raiders had gotten their hands on all this data it would have been a huge setback to Jack’s plans for weeks, maybe even months. You didn’t think you would have the patience for that as you wished this whole war on Pandora would just be over already and you could go back to how things used to be.

Securing the bag to yourself, you made your way to the exit as you could hear shouting coming from outside. Swiftly you creeped closer to the entrance, peeking out of the shadows you spotted Timothy who was currently suspended in the air surrounded by a orb of blue energy. The unconscious scientist laid prone on the ground below him as you set your sight on the attacker.

A well-fit woman with short blue hair and a skin tight yellow bodysuit stood a few yards from Tim. The tattoos that enveloped her left arm glowed bright as the similar blue energy gathered in her hand. Timothy struggled against his bond, trying to free himself when she addressed him.

“Seems it's our lucky day. Didn’t think you'd be doing your own dirty work Jack. You must be running out of loyal followers to do your bidding.”

"And miss out on being able to blow your brains out personally? I don't think so Vault Hunter."

The way Timothy spit out that name with venom made your blood flare fiercely. She was one of the Crimson Raiders’ Vault Hunters, a deadly siren warrior blessed with powers you couldn’t possibly understand. You secretly wished you would never have to fight one based on the small information Jack gave you about sirens but Timothy was in danger, you weren’t going to let her hurt him. Ensuring that the bag was strapped securely to yourself, you gripped your SMG tightly as you moved closer.

"If anyone is dying today it's you Jack, so why don't you say your prayers before I-"

“Let him go,” you emerged on her flank with your crosshair straight on her as she turned towards you.

“And who exactly are you?”

“I said, let him GO!”

Unleashing a barrage of bullets in her direction, she swiftly moved out of the path as the glow around her tattoos faded. Timothy landed with a dull _thump_ on the ground as you continued to release round after round towards her. As she reached for her own gun, you both took cover under nearby debris as the sound of gunfire rang out. Upon reaching to reload your gun, a blue shimmer of energy encased your SMG as it was suddenly pulled from your grasp and flung across the open desert. You looked to see the siren only a few yards away as her tattoos were lit once more. Growling under your breath, you grabbed one of your daggers as you charged towards her. She went to aim towards you but you were faster than she expected as you were already in her space as you swiped the blade upward towards her. She leaned backwards as the edge of the blade cut into her cheek, crimson blood painting her pale skin. As you continued to assault, she ducked and weaved out of your range until she lifted her left arm towards you. Without hesitation, your knife embedded into its flesh as she cried out in agony. Stumbling backwards, she pulled her arm in close to her body as she gritted her teeth at you. Grabbing another dagger from your belt you were ready to end this when Timothy’s voice cut through the air.

"[Y/N], look out!"

Turning quickly, you watched as a beefy psycho blocked out the sun as he jumped towards you. Dodging out of the way, he landed with a thick _thud_ only to wildly slash the buzz axe he wielded towards you.

“I'LL SLICE OFF YOUR EYELIDS SO YOU CAN WATCH THE END!!”

His incoherent screaming violated your ears as you defended yourself against the brutal onslaught. One heavy swing caught you off guard as it cut through your jacket, narrowly missing your flesh. His attacks were strong as you struggled to maintain your ground, pushing you farther back from the injured siren.

“YOU’RE GONNA SCREAM, JUST LIKE SHE DID; OPEN MOUTH, OPEN HEART, BLOOD AND NOISE FOREVER PIERCING MY SKULL!”

Why a psycho was trying to protect a siren you couldn’t understand but you didn’t have time to find out. The distant screaming of other bandits emanated from the rusty building as you skirmish seemed to have awoken the local Rats as rushed towards the blaring psycho. As he ripped and tore his way through them, you backed away quickly to spot Timothy currently behind cover as he and the siren had started to open fire on one another. You needed to get to him and get out the hell out of here when you remembered why you were here in the first place. Looking back at where you last saw the scientist, he was no longer on the ground as you spotted him running off in the distance away from the fight. You gritted your teeth in anger but you knew there was no way you would be able to recover him, it was gonna be a hard fought victory to even get out of here alive as you picked up your discarded gun and lined up your scope. The world slowly faded from your senses as you focused solely on the back of that traitor's skull. Your breath was eerily quiet as the drug in your veins hummed in anticipation when you pulled the trigger. The single sound of the bullet landing into his thick skull yards away peaked your ears as the world faded back into focus only for you to see the blood-drenched psycho grab you. Aggressively throwing you into a nearby wall, you gasped for air as his forearm pinned you against the jagged metal. Pain erupted from your body as the pressure against you got heavier, the psycho growling as he pulled back his free arm to strike. Quickly reaching down, you found a small metal pin as you pulled it loose setting off an explosion from one of the grenades on his belt. Your shield cracked and flickered out as it took the initial damage from the blast while you were flung away from the psycho. Your back slammed against something solid in the interior of the building as sand, smoke and debris began to settle down around you. The ringing in your ears was deafening as you struggled to move your body, warm liquid trickled down from your temple as your arms failed to lift you up. Your blood pumped angrily in your body, echoing the pain in your mind as you slowly drift into darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, thanks for taking the time to read. Please let me know of any errors or helpful criticism.  
> \--  
> Managed to whip out a whole chapter in 24hrs, so enjoy :)


	13. Chapter 13

There was a faint ringing in your ears, a constant annoyance that made you wince at its intrusion. The dull ache across your body intensified as you attempted to spur your muscles to move. They were beaten, battered and bruised, leaving you sluggish to wake as a faint groan escaped your lips.

“[Y/N]. Hey [Y/N], can you hear me?”

“J-jack?”

“Not quite.”

The last moments before you went unconscious flowed through your mind; That's right, you weren't with Jack, this was Timothy. You cursed under your breath at the mistake plus the sudden spike of pain as you tried to sit up.

"Hey, don't move."

Hissing lowly, you slowly laid back down as Tim’s hand helped guide you, "it hurtsss."

"I bet it does. You're pretty banged up so you got to stay still. I don't think anything is broken thank goodness but you're still gonna be sore for awhile."

"Where are we?"

"From what I figure, some old Dahl bunker though it's been picked clean by bandits."

"W-why?'

"Ah well, those Vault Hunters retreated after their psycho got pretty injured from the blast. Looks like your shield took the brunt of the damage but he wasn't as lucky. They ended up stealing our vehicle when I went to get you which left us with their useless technical that only took us so far till it broke down. I carried you till I found this place."

Out of all the things that could have happen this probably wasn’t the worst outcome. Sure, you had failed your task to bring the scientist back to Jack but at least you and Timothy made it out of the skirmish alive. You would have to make sure you were more prepared the next time you faced off against the Vault Hunters but first you had to worry about getting some sort of aid.

"Hyperion?", you sneered as your mind pounded against your skull.

"What about them? Oh- I don't know when they will find us. If they find us. You ECHO broke in the explosion and mine, well I might have left it in our vehicle."

"Tim-"

"I know, I know, rookie mistake. I honestly thought I had it with me but good news is I found a cache of supplies on our way here. Nothing in terms of proper medical supplies or ways to contact Hyperion but the rations should last us a little while till you healed."

Your mind struggled as you tried to understand all the information Tim was giving you. All you really comprehended was that you were injured, stranded and no way to contact Jack, great. At least it sounded like you would be able to rest here for a little while as Tim was more than capable of keeping you safe. What worried you most was losing the vehicle, Hyperion could have easily tracked it for your whereabouts but you were at least grateful you kept your equipment and supplies on you at all times. 

"How long have I been out?"

"Maybe close to 13 hours? It's already dark outside."

"I should take a pill.”

Tim clued into the uneasiness in your voice, it had been a while since your last dose of the drug. "Right. Yah. Ok, where do you keep it?"

“J-jacket pocket,” you tried to reach for it before Tim stopped you. For a few moments, you could feel him gently pat and prod your jacket, trying his best not to disturb your body.

"[Y/N], there’s nothing there."

Confused, your fingers graced over your jacket as you felt the ripped cloth that was once your pocket. Your eyes widened as you remembered the buzz axe that nearly cut through your skin. 

"No no no. This can't be happening."

"[Y/N]?"

"It must have fell out while I was fighting ahrg- that psycho. It-it was there before I-" you tried to sit up again as Tim pushed your back down firmly. 

"Calm down. It's gonna be ok."

"You don't understand. If I miss a dose then-"

"I know. All too well actually."

Tim tried to hide the sorrow that befell his eyes but even through your own pain you could see it. Recalling the night Jack left you alone in that cell sent an aching shiver down your spine as you wondered how Tim knew what the drug was capable of. Closing your eyes tightly, you grimaced at the knowledge that soon you would be hurting much more than you already did. The light hum of electricity from a nearby bulb was the only sound that filled the suffocating atmosphere as you felt Timothy grab your hand.

"Look, there isn't anything we can do about it now but I promise we will get through this together.” His voice was no louder than a whisper as you opened to see his mix-matched eyes glowing in the dim light. ”I need you to relax and stay strong. Can you do that for me?"

A small thump emanated from your chest at his words, something you only felt a few times before when you were with Jenna, hope. A small sliver that it would be ok, that for once things would work out in your favor, that maybe this time it wouldn’t be as bad. Giving him a firm nod, he smiled lightly as he rubbed small circles into the back of your hand. 

"Good, you need to rest though. Don't give me that look, I'll be here when you wake up. I'm not going anywhere.”

You didn't realize you were giving him a pleading look as the corner of your lips curled downward. This unforeseen circumstance left you with little choice as you tried to relax, closing your eyes once more. You were tired, sore, and worrying over what will happen next wasn't going to make it any better, maybe it would be ok for you to rest a little while longer.

\--

A cold sharp pain ruthlessly awoke you from your dreamless slumber, a agonizing sting from not ingesting a new supply of the drug left you completely numb. The icy sensation was too much to bear as you cried out, forcing your body upright in shock. It was a grave mistake as your bruised body still had yet to recover, the mixture of both pains was pure agony as you struggled to breath. Each pulse that rippled through your body felt like dying a thousand times over as you cursed Pandora for such a cruel fate.

‘It ok [Y/N]. I’m here. It’s alright”

Steady hands warped around you as you were pulled into Timothy’s embrace. Your body shuddered at the new position but he held you firmly, ensuring you remained still. 

“That’s it. Just breathe.”

Biting through the pain, your muscles moved against your wishes as they seized in wretched misery. Distraught by the fact that you could not feel his warmth against your skin, you at least gained some comfort that you were not alone. 

“C-cold,” your body shivered as you tried to curl up closer to him. 

“I know but it's alright. You're safe with me, I promise. You're strong enough to get through this.”

His voice. It was soothing, like listening to water as it flowed down a stream or rain lightly pitter-pattering against a window. You let it wash over you as you focused your mind on him, forgetting the pain for just a moment until it was too quiet. The muted space left you alone with the overbearing torment once again. 

“Argh- Tim?” Reaching your hand out, you watched as Tim grabbed it with his own. 

“I'm still here. I’m not going anywhere. Just focus on me if you can.” 

Your sight and hearing was all you could rely on as all your other senses were dull or overburdened by the drug's wrath. Trying to look up at Tim only provided you with another wave of piercing pressure in your veins as your body trembled in his arms. This unchanging suffering was completely overwhelming as your vision was becoming clouded by your constant stream of tears. Lamenting in your lack of control over your own body, you began to hear a low hum emanate from just about you. 

Tim pulled you closer as he began to fill the void of silence with his voice. You did not recognize what he hummed to you but it was sweet and slow, a lullaby of someone's childhood. It gave you a focus, an anchor that you could hold on to over the endless torment you were under. Your mind felt heavy as you listened intently to Timothy, his presence alone gave you a sliver of relief as you fought against the pain. 

\--

Day after day, the torments from the drug was agonizing as you struggled to survive their displeasure. Your blood continued to cry out for renewal of the purple liquid as Timothy ensured he kept you close each time it intensified its assault. It wasn’t until the third day when you began to notice the pain losing its grip over your body, its constant attacks that rendered you paralyzed began to be less frequent but the damage to your body was already apparent.

The numbness and lack of senses was hard to cope with at first, your strength failed you continuously as you tried to do even the simplest of tasks like taking a drink from a bottle. The sensation of being stabbed coursed through your hand as it released its hold, sending the bottle falling just out of reach. A heavy sigh left your lips as you went to pick it up only for another surge of pain to rip through your body as it sent you crashing to the ground.

“You ok [Y/N]?”

Tim was suddenly beside you as he helped you sit back up on your makeshift bed. Your breath hitched, like you had been punched in the gut as you tried to calm your growing frustrations.

“Just peachy.”

“Don’t be like that. It's ok, you should be back to your feet in no time. Just be patient.”

"Should?"

"I assume? Hyperion didn't really care about what happens to people off the drug so there wasn’t much research on it."

“Well it needs to hurry up. I want to go back to normal. Whatever the hell normal is.“

“Normal huh. How do you feel now then?”

Tim sat beside you as you looked down at your trembling hands, “I don’t know how to describe it. It feels...strange. Like my blood is no longer there? The way it used to vibrate in my veins is completely gone.”

“Sounds pretty normal to me. That's actually good, seems you're adjusting without the drug faster than I thought. Lucky for us that Jack didn’t give you a higher dosage like he planned, I guess.”

“What?” you turned towards him in stunned silence.

“Of the drug? You know, the stuff he controlled you with?”

“I got that but what do you mean higher dose?”

“Well ahhh- there are different potencies he was testing. Some more- dangerous than others.“

It was eerily silent as you contemplated his response, if Jack had indeed intended to increase his control over you by using a higher potency of the drug what would have stopped him from doing so? It didn’t seem like him to change his mind after he had set his plans in motion.

“You seem to know a lot about this drug.”

“Only from the information I could get my hands on. It is pretty secretive much like most Hyperion projects.”

“Can you tell me about it?”

“What do you want to know?”

“What is it?”

“It's a type of processed eridium. Its addictive properties alters the mind of whoever takes it to listen to commands easier. Essentially a sort of mind control.” Tim paused as he turned his gaze to the floor, “but Jack, he- he wanted more. You see, ummm right around when you got to Helios he started to- mhh, he experimented with- ah jeez.”

“Tim, please. Just tell me.” you placed a hand on his knee even though you couldn’t feel it, you figured it would give him some sort of comfort to tell you.

Tim clasped his hands in front of him as he inhaled deeply, “he put his DNA in it. The mixture seemed to have an effect where Jack not only controls the user but also makes them desire him more. It basically makes you drawn to the DNA source.”

Your eyes widened at what you just heard, “that- that can’t be true.”

“It is [Y/N]. I’m telling you the truth, I don’t have a reason to lie to you.”

“Why would he need that? I already followed his orders before the drug. Maybe I was just getting attached to him since I was with him all the time. After all, he wants my help in bringing peace to Pandora.”

“Do you really think you're special to Jack? After everything he has done to you? We are just pawns in his stupid little game!” 

The anger in his voice surprised you a little, out of all the time you spent with Tim you had never seen him this upset before. The closest you could recall is after he had spent that night over at your apartment but this was on a different level. The fury that was behind his eyes was the same as Jacks but as quickly as it appeared it faded as he slumped his shoulders.

“Honesty I don’t really blame you. I too once thought I was important to him.”

Watching Tim closely, you could see sadness once again overtake his features. What horrors did Jack inflict on Timothy for him to give such a reaction? As you heart thumped once more at the sight, you couldn’t help but pity yourself as well. 

“Tim, even if you are telling me the truth, are you saying everything I feel for Jack is a lie?”

“I can’t say if that is entirely the case but ask yourself this, when was the last time you said no to him?”

You reflexed back on everything you knew of Jack up to this point. Every moment of happiness, satisfaction, grief, and rage that you felt towards him as if it was happening all at once. The abrupt chaos that flickered in your mind with this new found information made you question everything you ever knew. Sure, you had accepted a long time ago that Jack controlled you but were you really the one that accepted that? All you had strived for is to make Jack happy, nothing else mattered but is that what you truly wanted or was this another command forced upon you? 

“I don’t know. I guess that explains some things but I was also drawn to you. You were able to help me when Jack left me alone. When the urges for his touch were too much to bear.”

Tim scratched the side of his mask nervously, “I- I have Jack’s DNA in me as well. It ah- yah.”

So it was true then, the drug in your system forced you to find relief from its source, the one that was rightfully in control, Handsome Jack. 

“Shit,” you cursed aloud. 

“Yep.”

As you both sat in silence, neither of you could handle the growing discomfort of the truth finally being revealed. You wanted to be angry, enraged by the fact Timothy might have kept this information from you all this time but that wasn’t right, it wasn’t his fault. If anyone was to blame it was Jack, he was the one who put you in this predicament, he was the one that never told you anything and left you alone in the dark. You could feel your muscles tense at your thoughts, sending a sharp pulse of pain that forced you to stay calm less you wished for another wave of agony.

“I'm gonna need some time to think about this. This- this is a lot.”

Timothy tensed slightly, opening and closing his mouth like he wanted to say something else till he sighed instead. “Right. I guess umm you’ll want some space so I’ll just be in the next room if you need me k?”

As he stood and started to leave you called out to him, making him freeze in the doorway as he turned back to you.

“Thanks. For everything,” you gazed at him softly, trying to apologize for sending him away.

He gave you a soft smile over his shoulder in return, “anything for you [Y/N].”

\--

To Timothy’s word, your senses were slowly starting to come back to you. It was only a weak sensation in your fingertips but it was there, a small spark of electricity that at least told your mind that you were regaining your sense of touch. After countless days stuck in the bunker, you were happy to even have this much back but you were still a ways off to being full recovered. Abrupt waves of pain still emanate from your blood as some convulsions would leave you in paralyzed torment once again for a brief time.

Time seemed to drag on as your darkened thoughts plagued your mind. You contemplated how you were just a broken shell of what you once were, weakened to the point where even a lowly bandit could finish you off with ease. Would you ever recover fully from this experience? What will happen when Jack finds you like this?

Thinking of Jack, you knew at some point you would have to go back to him. After all you still had Jenna to worry about but would he make you retake the drug again? Would the effects be different since your body was becoming normal without it? Is any of the feelings you have for Jack even real? The different thoughts of what could or couldn’t happen sent a cold shiver down your spine, whatever the case may be there was no use in sitting here dwelling on it. 

You found Timothy tinkering under an archaic console in the main room of the bunker. A few days back he had gone out to scout for supplies when he happened on a malfunctioning beacon that he had been trying to repair ever since. It was a long shot if it would even work again but it was your best option for getting out of here anytime soon as he insisted that the idea of walking out into the Dust in search of help wasn’t worth the risk in your condition. Sitting on a nearby chair, you watched him quietly as he continued to work without acknowledging your presence. 

“How's it going?” 

“[Y/N]! Ow. Are you ok?” Tim banged his head on the console as you startled him.

“Yah I'm just-”

“Are you sure? Is the pain coming back? Do you need me to help you with something?“

“Tim, relax. I just wanted to see how you were doing.”

“As sorry, ummm it's ok. I’m just trying to see if I can salvage some parts from these old consoles.”

“Do you need any help?”

“Well, do you know anything about electronic interface engineering and encrypt data transference?”

“Ahh what?”

“Figured. Don’t worry about it.”

“Sorry.”

“No no no. Ah dang it, I didn’t mean anything by it. You don't need to apologize.“

“No, it's my fault. I’m the one that got us into this mess and I can’t even help fix it. Not with how my body is anymore, I just hate feeling so useless.”

You clenched your fist as tightly as you could, it tremble slightly as your nails dug into your palms though there was no register of physical pain. It infuriated you to no end to be stripped of all your power, how you were never good at anything but being a thief and a killer. What use would you be to anyone like this? You were so lost in your thoughts that you failed to notice Tim move until he stood before you with his hands on his hips. 

“You know, I spotted a pack of skags not too far out the other day. Why don’t we go see how holding a gun feels?”

“I don't know. I can barely hold onto one of my daggers without cutting myself.”

“Come on, it will be fun. Promise.”

You could tell Tim was trying to help you get out of the self pity party you have been stuck in for awhile. It was obvious that your thoughts were eating you alive so maybe it wouldn’t be a bad idea to get out of this stuffy bunker for a little while. 

\--

The sun was slowly rising on the horizon when Tim led you to a nearby rocky ridge. As the golden light cascaded over the landscape, you had a decent overlook of an active skag den while being a safe distance away. Tim motioned you to sit beside him as he carefully handed you a sniper rifle, its metal was heavy in your hands as you tried to hold onto it. While you managed to find the strength not to lose your grip, lifting the weapon to a point where you could use the scope was proving to be a challenge. As you struggled for a few moments, you were about to give up when Tim spoke first.

"Here. Hold on for a second."

Tim shifted so that he sat behind you with your back flush against his chest, his arms wrapped around you as they helped bring the rifle up to your view. With his added support, the barrels aim began to steady as you huffed slightly at the compromising position you were in.

"Tim, this is just silly."

"So what? No one else is out here but us. Take your time."

Taking a deep breath, you maneuvered to see down the scope while Tim allowed you to guide him where to aim. The world didn’t seem to fade around you like it used to when you were effected by the drug, if anything it was noisier than you remember. Even if your current surrounds were quiet tame, the slight commotions and distractions made you faintly miss the hyper-awareness that tuned them out. It would have to be a small price to pay for you to not feel the agonizing pain that the drug gave you ever again. Focusing you held a deep breath as you pulled the trigger, the light kickback from the sniper pressured into your shoulder as Timothy shared the impact. A distant howl rang through the air as an alpha skag collapsed dead from the critical shot, a smirk crossing your lips as you heard a deep chuckle from behind you. 

"See? You're a natural. It won't be long till you get your strength back. Keep going.”

As you began to take out each skag, you took your time though some shots were better than others. It was definitely going to take some time to get used to shooting with normal senses but until then this wasn’t so bad. It was the first time your mind felt at ease since your fight against the Vault Hunters and you were glad Tim was here to share it with you. Everything felt calmer with him around unlike the constant chaos Jack brought with him. 

Your hands began to tremble as a spike of pain shocked through your body, your muscles seized one more as you gasped at the sudden agony. Your eyes sealed shut as you heard the gun clatter to the ground and the weak sensation of Timothy's hold lingering on your skin. Writhing in pain for only a few moments, it abruptly faded once more as you were left breathless in his embrace.

“I- I hate this. Hate being so weak.”

Anger boiled in your cold blood at how for once you were finally at peace with yourself only for it to be shattered in the blink of an eye. Tim remained quiet behind you though your dull senses could picked up on how tense his own body was.

“He did this to me, didn’t he?”

“Jack doesn't care what lives he ruins. As long as it benefits him, he will do what he wishes.”

“But why?”

“Because no one is equal in his eyes. He won't stop until he controls us all.”

“I just don't understand how someone could be so cruel. Do this to people that trust him.”

“He wasn't always this way, before he became Handsome Jack that is. The leaders of the Crimson Raiders, they changed him, made him go crazy for revenge and his quest to unleash the Warrior,” he spoke softly as you leaned back into his chest. “At one point he was actually a hero. Saved thousands of lives on Elpis but after what he has done to you...to me.”

The sound of wind rustling through the desert sand emanated around you, without anyone else around for miles you shared a sorrowful moment with Tim. Both accepting the nightmarish world you were a part of.

“Jack doesn't understand how to care for someone. To receive genuine love and return it without question. He will always find a way to manipulate it to where it suits his needs as he feeds you false hopes and promises.” 

You let out a small sigh to his words as you watched the slow sunrise in distance, “Have you ever been in love Tim?”

“Me? I, well- it's ummm- let's just say that there are a select few that I want to spend time with but sometimes people can't look past the whole Handsome Jack face so it gets complicated. They either end up wanting to use me or kill me and it's really hard to trust when someone says they like me because are they talking about actually me or Jack? And if they say me then that just messes with head because, I mean, I'm not as impressive as Jack so maybe they are lying and - ahhh, I'm rambling aren't I?"

A soft chuckle left your lips as you could hear Tim curse under his breath. You didn’t want this moment to end, to stay here where the horrors of Pandora and Jack didn’t reach you. Where for once you in your miserable life you felt true tranquility against the never ending chaos.

“You know you're beautiful [Y/N] I don't think he ever told you that enough.”

You cautiously turned around in Tim’s arms until you were face to face. As your eyes met, his affectionate gaze held you still as your heart thumped loudly in your chest. Was that normal? This new ache was completely different than what Jack made you feel, it pulsed through your veins but it seemed more pleasurable than just gratification. You could feel you blood warm slightly as Timothy cupped your face with his hand, the smallest awareness of his touch made your breath hitch as you were unable to control yourself. Quickly surging forward you met his lips with your own, not really caring about the world around you. You focused as much as you could on him as you closed your eyes though it wasn’t long until you could sense him return your kiss. His lips were soft as you sweetly gave each affection, only turning passionate for a moment before you released him. 

“I'm sorry. Maybe I shouldn’t have done that.”

“Were you thinking of him?”

“No actually, I was thinking about how that was probably the first time that I got to choose what I wanted in awhile.”

“Then I’d like you to continue. Unless you don't want to now. I mean, I-”

Your lips curled as Timothy shyly tried to pull away only for you to catch him and pull him in once more. You had no doubts in your mind that this is what you wanted, you didn't need a drug to tell you how you felt for Tim.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, thanks for taking the time to read. Please let me know of any errors or helpful criticism.


	14. Chapter 14

How long have you been stuck on Pandora now, a few weeks? A month? Honestly you couldn't say because each day just blended into the next. With the extraordinary long day cycle on this planet it was hard to keep track but whatever the case may be this was the longest you've been away from Jack. It was strange waking up each day not working on some sort of task or command from him, your life had been so tied to his will up until this point that sometimes you felt lost without him. You started to wonder if he would have given up his search for you by now, was he even searching? How did he react that day after you failed to report in? Did he maybe think you were dead? There were too many possible answers to your questions, all highly plausible in their own right. From Jack being completely enraged, distraught or just nonchalant about the whole situation, you even considered it could have been all three.

Still plagued by unpredictable spikes of pain, you had fallen into a routine of practicing your aim on the local wildlife near the bunker. There was still a lingering touch of numbness in your skin but you had regained enough stamina to solidly hold a firearm on your own without Tim’s assistance. Slowly you were becoming more confident in your skills, enough to where you thought you could defend yourself against a gang of roaming bandits if one ever stumbled upon your location but when collecting skag meat from the fresh corpses you could tell how much the dagger still trembled in your hand.

Grilling the meat on a makeshift campfire just outside the bunker's entrance, you waited patiently as you flexed your fingers. It still disturbed you how much your senses were lacking since your first night without the drug. Everything felt faint, almost distant, nothing ever seemed to be in complete focus anymore as your senses provided various unrelated details about the the world around you but maybe that was normal? You weren’t sure but Tim always reassured you it was.

It wasn’t long till you determined the meat to be cooked when you stepped into the bunker, Timothy was hunched over his workbench as he worked on the beacon that took up the majority of the desk with various tools and parts scattered around him. Moving a few odds and ends out of the way, you placed a portion of the meal down for him before taking up a seat a short distance away. He was too engrossed in his work to notice you, only looking up after a small spark of electricity made him yelp in surprise as he placed a singed finger into his mouth. A small chuckle left your lips as he turned and frowned at you for making light on his misfortune, you gave his a small shrug in return as you took a bit. It was only then that Timothy noticed the plate you left for him as he let out a small groan and slumped back in his chair. You shared that sentiment, skag was never your favorite as it was bland and chewy but when it came to surviving Pandora it was a more than adequate food source.

"I think you should leave."

"Sorry what? I don’t think I heard you right,” you blinked before furrowing your brow in confusion.

"Think about it. You're no longer under the drug’s control. You're free of Jack’s influence. You could just leave and be done with all his bullshit."

"I can't just leave Tim."

"Why not?" He stretched his back as he twisted around in his chair towards you.

“Because the drug isn’t the only way Jack has control over me. He still has my sister.”

"But-"

"I can't just leave her on Helios. I have spent my whole life trying to protect her and that isn’t gonna change now that I’m off the drug." Tilting your head to the side, you give Tim a small smile. “Besides I can’t just leave you to suffer alone now can I? You still owe me a date to Elpis.”

You tried to lighten the mood but Tim wasn't having it, he stood up suddenly which made you jump a little from his unexpected reaction. He growled under his breath in anger trying to be intimidating like Jack but the growing concern behind his eyes showed how he truly felt.

“I’m serious [Y/N]! Jack will never stop his conquest for control. I've been with him long enough to know that Pandora is just the beginning."

Standing up, you narrowed your gaze on him as you gestured around absent-mindedly, “well if he sets his sights on the galaxy next, where would it even be safe from his tyranny? There is no place to go!"

The tension in the air was suffocating as you and Timothy both stood firm against one another. Both of you understood the power that Jack had and with the looming threat of the Warrior he would be fully unstoppable. Timothy let out a small hiss through his gritted teeth before bringing a hand up to message his temples.

"You could hide out in Lynchwood for now. Jack won't go there himself because- ahh, well he just won't." He looked away before you could ask why when he suddenly turned to face his workbench. "Good plan. Great plan."

With his back turned towards you, he began to tinker on the beacon once again acting like the matter was agreed upon. Your shoulders sunk slightly as you mused over his plan, betraying Jack for your own benefit wasn’t going to be an option, not when he controlled everything you cared about. With both Jenna and Timothy in his grasp there was no way for you to ever get away without some sort of major repercussion.

"Tim, I just can't go into hiding from him. The things he would do if he found out-" you couldn’t finish the sentence. There were too many gruesome outcomes to that statement; it wasn’t worth recounting them all.

Timothy stopped, his body trembled lightly before he hung his head down low. Taking a deep breath, he placed his hands down on the table in front of him.

"He's gonna make you take the drug again."

This time you paused, setting your sights down at the floor as Tim slowly turned towards you when you remained silent for too long. Your mind raced a little for an answer, it was something you had been avoiding to think about really. The misery and pain you suffered from the drug far outweighed the beneficial effects you ever felt under its influence.

"I- I kinda figured but maybe I can talk him out of it. Show him that it isn't necessary then-"

Maybe you would just get lucky and Jack would understand or maybe he would simply forget but you knew deep down that wasn’t gonna be the case. Even if by some miracle he didn't use the drug again it would only be a matter of time till he used something else against you.

You took a deep breath to try and calm your thoughts, “it will never go back to how it used to be, will it? Now that I know the truth of the drug.”

“I think you already know the answer to that.”

It was eerily quiet as you both stood wordlessly across from each other. You clutched onto your upper arm, pulling it close to your body for some sort of comfort as Tim rubbed the back of his neck.

“Do you remember when Jack pushed you away after you fought a-and when I showed up at your door that night?” his voice was low as he spoke.

"Yeah."

"Do you want to know the reason why?”

“Only if you want to tell me.”

“I- no. Yah no. You should know.”

Timothy moved another chair closer to his workbench as he motioned you to sit with him. He nervously fidgeted for a few moments as you took the seat beside him, only relaxing when you place a hand on top of his.

“See Jack has- had a daughter. Her name was Angel.”

You couldn’t hide the small gasp from your lips, Jack had a daughter? After all that time you spent at his side, how did you never know that?

“I knew Angel a little. Jack didn’t let her near anyone but we stayed in touch, you know, as friends. She was important to Jack, but she also suffered because of him.” Lifting his gaze, his heavy eyes were already on the verge of tears. “See, she was given a similar drug. Not fully the same but it's the original version from which yours was based from. It came to the point where it controlled her so much that if she was ever taken off a constant supply she would die. Seeing her hooked up to those machines- I wish I could have helped her. She didn’t desire that fate.”

A single tear streamed down his face as you brushed it aside, he leaned into your touch as you spoke softly, “did Jack kill her?”

“Yes- I mean, no. She was working secretly with the Vault Hunters. They were the one that actually killed her so they could stop Jack’s plans but it seems to have only delayed the inevitable.” He took a shaky breath as he tried to remain calm, “but she wanted to die. To finally get away from Jack. I just- I just felt so helpless. I couldn't save her from him and I don’t want that to happen to you too. For you to get to the point where you could never live without Jack or that horrid drug he created.”

Suddenly Timothy clasped both your hands as he pulled you closer until your face only a few inches away from his. “I care about you [Y/N]. More than I really should with Jack around but I can’t help it. I don't want you to suffer like Angel did."

The grief and sadness you continued to witness in his eyes made your heart ache. Tim should have never ended up with this cruel fate, one with endless torments each designed and executed at Jack’s leisure. Even if you didn’t know the full details, you knew that there was probably nothing Tim could have done to save Angel but you could see how much it tore him apart. From that night he ended up at your apartment to even now as he hurt to remember her, you wanted to be there for him. Help him through his nightmares but the genuine concern he held for you made you a little worried you were making the wrong decision to return to Jack’s side.

"I care about you too Tim but this is my choice. I'm not gonna run away from him, not when he has control over what is important to me. Whatever happens we will look out for each other, we will keep each other safe. Ok?”

You gave him a sweet smile as he continued to hold you close, shutting his eyes for a moment lamenting in the fact he wasn’t going to be able to change your mind.

"[Y/N], I-"

A single chime rang out in the bunker as you both stared at each other in shock. Turning your gaze at the beacon, it hummed lowly as it sat motionlessly on the workbench but a faint blue light was pulsing from the center.

"Did it just-" Timothy quickly stood as he inspected the device, "holy shit- it's working!"

He chuckled lightly as finally a stroke of good fortune from lady luck herself graced you both. He looked back towards you, giving you a gleeful smile which made your heart _thump_ loudly in your chest. The moment though was brief as suddenly the humming grew louder as the machine furiously sparkled and fizzled.

"No no no. Come on." Timothy frantically tried to get the beacon back under control as smoke began to emanate from its core.

"Timothy! Be careful," you tried to reach out to him before the device exploded, sending shards of metal in all directions. Bracing your arms in front, your gear stopping any debris from harming you as the room quickly fell silent once more.

“Tim? Are you ok?”

You could hear Tim coughing through the smoke as he staggered a few steps away from the now destroyed workbench, "Yeah. Yeah I'm ok."

He collapsed to his knees as you helped him sit down on the ground, a cut above his brow slowly trickled blood down his face. As you ripped off a piece of cloth from your shirt, you applying pressure to the wound which made him give off a low hiss but he sat silently as you tended to him. Once you determined the bleeding had stopped, you supported him as he stood back on his feet while looking at the remains of the destroyed beacon.

“Well, I guess all we can do now is wait. At least it managed to send the message once so we'll just have to hope Jack got it.” Tim huffed as he ran a hand through his hair.

“How do you know he will be the one to come investigate the signal? Couldn’t any bandit intercept the message?”

“Yah but I made it so only Jack would understand what it means. He should be the only one that will send someone to look.”

“What did it say?”

“It only sent one word," he paused as as he looked at you from the corner of his eyes. "Ghost.”

\--

That night you had trouble sleeping, it was like your mind was finally catching up with the real possibility of being under Jack’s full control again. The impending threat plagued your thoughts as you found yourself seething with anger. You hated this, hated how even now you were defenseless in denying Jack's plans for you. All the frustrations you felt under his rule were in the forefront of your mind as you recalled the life you had on Helios. How he controlled where you could go, who you could talk to, what you were allowed to even do each day. This wasn’t something you wanted, hell none of your life thus far had been but at least you got to see Jenna again and you did get to meet Timothy. They were the small shards of light that helped you through the never ending darkness but Jack loomed in the shadows. Close enough that he could snuff them out without even breaking a sweat and that scared you. Would he do that? Would he make you all alone again?

Your body trembled as you sat on your bed with your knees pulled up into your chest, it was hard to breathe as your heartbeat accelerated out of control. Utterly terrified by the endless possibilities that were to come kept you unmoving, like if Jack’s daunting gaze was already set upon you, pinning you down to where you couldn’t escape their hold. As tears began to run down your cheeks you couldn’t help but chuckle at yourself.

“I really fucked up now didn’t I? Finally letting Jack control me with fear.”

The empty room didn’t answer as you wiped away your tears with shaky hands. As much as Jack terrorized your thought, you knew that you had to stay strong. For Jenna, for Timothy. You needed to remain vigilant against Jack, less you lose everything you truly cherished.

Quietly, you stood up from your bed as you made your way toward Tim’s room. Opening the door a crack, it was dark inside as you provided only a sliver of light that illuminated his sleeping form.

“Tim?” you cautiously whispered, your voice lightly echoed on the metal walls before the room fell silent once more. A small sigh left your lips as you began to shut the door only to hear a light jostle from the bed.

“Mhmmm- [Y/N]? Everything alright?”

You cursed yourself a little for waking Timothy up this late, you shouldn’t have bothered him with your problems.

“I umm, it’s- it’s nothing. Go back to sleep.”

Tim sat up as he rubbed his eyes sleepily, his hair was disheveled as he yawned before setting his gaze on you.

“It doesn’t look like nothing. Come here.”

You debate just closing the door and going back to your own room but you really need him right now. The growing turmoil inside you was only getting worse as tears were threatening to spill once more from your eyes. Stepping inside, you sat at the edge of the bed as he pulled you into his chest. You lightly sighed as you felt his heat on your skin, thankful that the chilling cold in your veins had finally subsided enough for you to feel it. His arms wrapped around you, firmly holding you as he whispered into your ear.

“Tell me what’s wrong.”

The way his voice sent a shiver down your spine could not go unnoticed. Whether it be Timothy or Jack, that voice always seems to be able to reach into your very soul, exposing all your secrets and truths.

“I- I just don’t want to be alone right now.”

“You're never alone anymore [Y/N]. You will always have me to rely on.”

You were glad you had Timothy here, someone you could trust when you needed help but that wasn’t always gonna be the case once you're back on Helios. If anything, you afraid that you might not get to see him again until your back under the drugs effects and Jack pawns you back on Tim just to relieve the constant itch for his DNA.

“I’m scared, Tim.”

“It’s not too late to leave.”

“No, I wouldn’t run but I’m just worried about what will happen.”

“I know how terrifying he can be, heck you’ve seen how I have to be like him, but you want to know the best way of surviving Jack? It is to keep giving him what he wants. Just enough that he is satisfied so he isn't forced to take it from you.”

"But what if it's me he wants. I can't go back to how I was before, always looking for some sort of gratification from him. Those desires weren’t my own."

“Believe me, it's not something I want but it's a high possibility with how he acts towards you. I want to keep you safe but I’m not gonna lie that I won't be able to stop him all the time [Y/N].”

You tensed under his words, even Timothy knew that he wasn’t able to stop Jack, what chance did you have? All the worries that lingered in your mind were very much real but for some reason it was comforting knowing that you didn’t underestimate Jack.

“Sorry. I’ve only made you more upset haven't I?” his grip tightened around you.

“Not at all Tim. I needed you to tell me the truth. Help me understand what I’m up against for when the time comes.” You leaned against his shoulder, enough to where you could tilt your face up to him. Making out his warm features in the dim light, your lips curled upwards in a faint smile.

“Alright, but know that I will always be on your side no matter what. I’m not letting Jack have you forever. I’ll find us a way out, I promise.”

Softly he began to place small kisses on forehead trailing down until he landed at the exposed neck, sending small shivers down your spine as you melted into his embrace. Your once chaotic mind now felt tranquil as he showered you with affection, your eyes beginning to feel heavy as sleep finally called for you.

“Tim.”

“Mhmm?”

“Is it ok if I stay here with you tonight?”

“Of course.”

Stopping yourself from making an audible whine when he released you from his hold, he shifted farther back on the bed. Laying down on his back with his arm outstretched, you curled up beside him with your head on his shoulder while his arm wrapped around you. He gently massaged small circles into your skin as you listened to his heartbeat, the steady rhythm lulled you to sleep as you drifted off knowing you were safe with him.

\--

The roar of a vehicle in the nearby distance made you bolt up from your sleep. Confused for a moment at your unfamiliar surroundings, you turned to see Timothy already at the door loading up various weapons. He gave you a firm nod as he silently handed you a pistol before heading out of the bunker. Quickly checking the ammo count, you crouched down by a rusty metal container outside the bunker as you spotted Tim a few meters away hiding just out of sight. The sound was getting louder as you waited in silence, it wasn't long till a pitch black vehicle came into view before stopping just outside of camp. As the dust settled, the driver side door opened swiftly as a lone occupant stepped out.

“Jack?” you stood up as you spotted him looking around before setting his sights on you.

“Hey kiddos, glad to see me?”

The way his lips curled into his signature smirk sent a chilling shock through your veins, it felt like your whole body was suddenly put on ice as your muscles refused to move under his gaze. You went to speak but you struggled to find any words as your mind felt confused not knowing if it should be happy or terrified to finally see him.

“Thank god you're finally here Jack. We definitely didn’t want to spend another night in this hell hole, right [Y/N]?” Timothy stepped out into the open as he stood beside you, placing a hand on your shoulder.

His touch tore you out of your state of shock as you fumbled to respond, “ah, yeah. I was starting to think maybe we were stuck here for good.”

Tim’s hand gave you a light squeeze, small enough that Jack wouldn’t be able to see it but enough for you to feel it. As he removed his hand, you wanted to tell him not to let go when Jack stole your attention.

“Oh, I knew I'd find you eventually pumpkin. It was only a matter of time but honestly took longer than I expected.” Jack stepped closer as he stood in front of both of you, his eyes scanned you up and down before he let out a sharp whistle. “Just look at you guys. You both look like you just crawled out of a rakk hive's ass.”

“Thanks Jack,” you mumbled knowing you probably looked like some bandit scum with no sense of hygiene.

“Awe not in the mood for a little joke? Well ok then, why don’t we get serious and you tell me how you screw-ups fucked up so bad that you got yourselves stuck all the way out in the middle of nowhere and had to call me for help.”

“We didn’t mean to.”

“Sure you did but why don’t you explain it to me all the same.”

You looked over at Timothy as he let out a small breath, he informed Jack about what happened that day you were sent to get the scientist. That you failed to keep him alive, that all the data was destroyed in a massive explosion, that you had been injured from your fight with the Vault Hunters and that they had stolen your vehicle and equipment. The one thing he didn’t mention was your withdrawal from the drug, only making up the excuse that since the Vault Hunters knew that Handsome Jack would be stranded in The Dusts without aid they may have sent more reinforcements to find you, thus why you went into hiding. As Jack pondered your explanation, he placed his hands on hips taking a heroic stance.

”Always a clever one aren't ya, Timtam. You're not wrong though, those Vault Hunters keep showing up like the irritating cockroaches that they are. Wouldn't surprise me if they just came waltzing over the horizon any minute now to spoil my heroic rescue of some damsels in distress.”

He gave a small wink as you tried your best to give him a soft smile, knowing that he wanted you to praise him like a hero. He seemed satisfied with your reaction as he quickly turned back on his heels and headed towards the vehicle.

“Let's get a move on. We are going straight to the medical ward once we get to a fast travel station so I can make sure you guys don't have any permanent damage from your extended stay in the wilds. Chop chop.”

As Jack shouted over his shoulder, you watched him as you cautiously whispered “Tim?”

“I will be ok. Just remember that no matter what happens, I'll always be looking out for you.”

Tim gently brush the side of your face as he stepped past you towards the vehicle with Jack, you placed a hand on the spot as if the feeling of his touch would last longer while you looked out at the open desert vista. For just a moment you watched a pack of rakks as they flew off into the distance, they were vile creatures that annoyed you to no end but as you headed to towards where both men now stood, you wondered if you would ever get to be as free as they were.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, thanks for taking the time to read. Please let me know of any errors or helpful criticism.


	15. Chapter 15

The pristine white walls that surrounded you amplified the unsettling atmosphere as the fluorescent lights above you hummed lowly. After the events on Pandora, Jack had whisked you away to the Medical Ward of Helios where you currently sat on the edge of a bed. There was no shortage of doctors in the room with you, each one asked their own line of questions or performed various tests to determine your condition. From checking your vitals to drawing blood samples, it felt suffocating to be continuously poked and prodded with the same repeated actions that you finally lashed out to get them to leave you alone. As they scurried out of the room you let out a small huff from your outburst, as much as you didn't want them to hover around you so much you figured they were probably just being cautious. After all, you had been hand delivered to the ward by Handsome Jack himself but now that the room was finally quiet all you wanted to do was leave and have a decent shower. 

Minutes passed by silently till Jack's booming voice could be heard from just outside your room. With the door closed, you couldn't make out what it was he was yelling about but based on the tone and lack of response you figured he must be strangling some poor unfortunate soul that happened to incurred Jack’s wrath. The hallway outside became quiet once more as you eyed the door, waiting patiently as it opened and Jack stepped inside. In a rather calm motion, he closed the door behind him as he slipped a hand through his hair.

“So when were you gonna tell me you're no longer taking the meds I gave you.”

"Ahh-" you stammered to think of an excuse as Jack leaned against the door. 

"Come on kitten. I don't have all day."

”A lot happened while I was trapped down on Pandora. My mind is still a bit fuzzy at times so I guess it just slipped my mind.”

You tried your best not to turn your gaze away from him though it was exceedingly difficult. His mix-matched eyes bore into you as they searched for the truth, only stopping when he left out a small sigh and kicked off the wall towards you.

“Seems like a pretty important thing to just gloss over. On top of spending my vast resources to find you guys, this really puts a wrench in my plans.”

“Sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it for now, you can make it up to me later.” Jack stood tall in front of you as he placed his hands on his hips, “how are you feeling then?”

“Are you actually concerned?” you quizzically looked up at him as he furrowed his brow.

“Of course I am. What kind of question is that?“

“I- sorry, I didn’t mean it like that. I’m having a hard time adjusting still.”

“Well clearly it wasn’t a good idea to just up and stop taking the drug like that. Bound to be some side effects if the pile of bodies they had down in Research & Development are anything to go by.” Jack carefully placed a hand under your chin as he tilted your face back and forth, inspecting your features for any outwardly damage.

“It's not like I had a choice Jack and wait- bodies?”

“You think developing a life changing drug wouldn’t be made without a few sacrifices? I had to know all the possibilities before I even dreamed of giving it to you sweetheart.”

“But people died from it?”

The corner of Jack’s lips curled upwards slightly as he released his grip and waved you off. “Oh there were tons of different reactions but don’t worry about it [Y/N], you're still alive aren't you? I knew you could handle it.”

There was no hiding your discomfort to his words, with you fully knowing what the drug was and how it manipulated you, the added knowledge of how potentially dangerous it was only expanded your long list of reasons to avoid being addicted to it again.

“Jack I-”

“So listen cupcake, I’m not gonna go into the details because frankly I don’t have time but this is what's gonna happen next. You're gonna stay here for a while and let the staff run some more tests on you to make sure everything is ok and what not. Once they get everything they need, you're gonna take the rest of the day off and be back at my office tomorrow morning. Got it?”

Matching your gaze back up at him, you wanted to protest as your lips parted but you quickly stopped yourself as you remember that you would have no say in the matter. “Yes Jack.”

“Good girl.” Jack turned quickly on his heels as he made his way to the exit, ”and don’t cause any more trouble while I’m gone k? I already got enough to worry about that I can’t spend my whole day babysitting you and TimTams.”

“Is he ok?”

“Huh?” Jack stopped as he was about to reach for the door handle.

“Tim. I haven't seen him since we got back. Just wanted to make sure my- work partner was ok.”

Jack narrowed his gaze on you from over his shoulder before giving you a small shrug. "Well he is in better shape then you if that’s what you want to know. He might be an idiot at times but that kid usually bounces back pretty fast so I wouldn’t worry too much about it.”

“Oh ok. Thanks Jack.”

“Your welcome pumpkin. I’ll see bright and early tomorrow.”

As soon as Jack was out the door, another wave of doctors descended in the room as they setup different equipment around you. As you shifted back on the bed to lay down, your arm was already being strapped with different sensors to your skin while another needle pricked into your veins. A small groan left your lips as you failed to sense it's intrusion, your eyes closed shut knowing that you wouldn’t be leaving this room any time soon. 

It was late when you arrived back at your apartment, the room was just like you left it with the only difference being the new ECHO Unit that sat on the kitchen counter. Ignoring it completely, you headed straight into the bathroom as you discarded your tattered gear and stepped into the shower. Steam filled the room as you stood underneath the trickling water but as it washed away the caked on grime from being stranded on Pandora for so long the feeling was unsatisfying. The ache in your muscles from the various tests you underwent still resided as you lifted a hand in front of you. The small droplets of water that splashed onto your palm only gave you the sensation of light, lukewarm pricks on your skin. A small thought of dread bubbled inside you, what if you never regained your full sense of touch? What if you were permanently altered to this ghostly form were you barely sensed the world around you? You scuffed under your breath, maybe this was just the last step in your monstrous transformation to becoming the ghost your infamous reputation suggested. Quickly scrubbing any remaining filth of your body, you dried yourself off and slipped into some clean clothes before flopping down on your bed. The day’s events weighed heavy on you as pure exhaustion took over your body, it wasn’t long till you drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

\--

Lounging on the couch in Jack’s office, you were currently staring up at the vaulted ceiling. Ever since you arrived that morning Jack had been nonstop working as countless men and women entered his office to give off different reports, though not all of them left alive. You had been instructed by Jack to remain in his office for the day but you were starting to form a headache from hearing him constantly shouting about his employees incompetence and barking new orders to follow over his ECHO Unit. Sitting up properly, you turned your gaze towards a small, plump suited man that stood in front of Jack’s desk as he was trying to make his case about one of the eridium mining facilities on Pandora.

“Sir we just don’t have the manpower to keep up production like this. If we keep sending more down to the facility we would be bankrupt within the week.”

Jack currently sat in his chair with his fingers laced under his chin, a small streak of blood already adorned his cheek from a previous meeting. “Oh I’m sorry, since when did you become an expert in corporate financing?”

“I-I’m not sir but each day we stay in operations we are losing half the staff we send down there. The budget for workplace mortality compensation has already capped for the next fiscal year and-”

Jack furiously slammed his hands down on the desk which made the employee jump. Without a word he walked around his desk, grabbing the shorter man’s hand and shoving a pistol in it. 

“Now listen closely because I’m only gonna say this once. Your gonna have till the count of three to kill yourself. Make it as quick and easy as you like but if you're not dead by the time I’m finished counting I guarantee your death will be anything but. It will be slow and agonizing as your torn limb from screaming, bloody limb.”

The venom in his voice even sent a small shiver down your spine though you didn’t outwardly show it. It was important not to let Jack know that you were intimidated by him though the smaller employee clearly didn’t get the memo. He shook violently as Jack stood there with his arms now folded in front of his broad chest. 

“One.”

“P-please s-s-sir.”

“Two,” Jack’s voice raised in volume.

Tears rushed down the man’s face as sobbed loudly, pleading for Jack to reconsider. 

“Th-” 

A thunderous _bang_ rang out as it silenced Jack’s office once more. A simple bullet through the man's temple ended his life though fresh tears and snot still dripped down his face, it was not the most dignified way to go. 

“Jack, that is the sixth guy I’ve seen you kill today about the eridium mine. Maybe there was some truth that you are running out of men,” you blankly stated as you stood up.

“Doesn’t matter. There are plenty more people out there who can replace them. Their lives are insignificant so this is just their self sacrifice to my great cause.”

“I assume this is because you're about to awaken the Warrior?”

“Sure is. Any day now I’ll be on Pandora curbstomping all those bandits to death. It's gonna be sweet.”

“All of them? You make it sound like you and the Warrior are the only ones that will be doing any of the killing.”

“Oh you're not gonna be helping this time kitten. You're on the bench till we fix you up and don’t tell me nothing's wrong because I've seen the results from medical. I'm not risking you going to Pandora till we figure out a solution.” 

It surprised you a little to hear you wouldn’t be there when Jack planned to open the Vault. Honestly to you though that you would be but you guessed without you being addicted to the liquid eridium that it would have significantly altered Jack’s plans for you. At some point in your thoughts, your features must have conveyed your displeasure as Jack let out a deep chuckle and stepped towards you. He stood close to you, enough to where you should be able to feel the heat from his body as he reached out and caressed the side of your cheek. Taking a deep breath you tried to relax the best as you could in his hold, hiding your quickening heartbeat. 

His thumb graced across your skin as his daunting eyes held you in place, “don’t worry so much kitten. I already got my best men working on it so while you might not be there with me to open the Vault, I’ll make sure to save you some of the action.”

You stared at him blankly for a minute, not knowing if you should feel comfort or sheer terror from his words. If he was already working on some sort of plan for you then there was probably some sort of dark motivation behind it that you needed to avoid. 

“Jack, how come you need so much eridium now? I thought Hyperion already had several reserves of the stuff.”

For a second you thought maybe it was a mistake to ask him as his gaze sharpened and his hand slowly trailed down to your neck. As his grip slightly tightened around your throat, you were still able to intake a steady breath but the action alone made you involuntarily gulp from the pressure.

“Mhmm you know what cupcake? Since you have always been so curious, do you really want to know all about how I’m gonna get my hands on the Warrior?”

It was definitely fear you were feeling now as words failed you, only giving him a firm nod in response.

Jack flashed you a devilish smile as he brought you closer to him, your bodies flush together as he looped his other arm around your waist. “Alright, I think you're finally earned it for being such a good little ghost after all this time.”

The heat of his lips on yours was the only sensation your mind could comprehend. His kiss was still dominating and passionate but without the drug in your system it was not as alluring as you remembered. It didn't make your blood hum loudly through your veins like before but as you thought about pushing away you suddenly found it hard to breath. Recalling the the hand still wrapped around your throat its grip tightened as you struggled weakly against him, only being released once Jack was fully satisfied. Taking a few steps away from him, you rubbed your sore neck as you gasped and coughed from the sudden rush of air to your lungs. His eyes looked down at you with a darkened, lustful gaze that instantly reminded you of that dreadful day you first agreed to work for him. You let out a small growl threw clenched teeth as his signature smirk captured his face once more.

“Come on pumpkin. I’ll show you.”

With that, he led you out of the office towards the fast travel station. Pulling you close again with your back up against his chest, he punched a few numbers into the keypad before you were teleported away to a new part of the station. Your new surroundings were dark though a dull purple glow lit up metal surfaces of the room, all around you there were enormous glass containers filled with liquid eridium as several scientists stood in front of them. Frozen in place, your eyes followed the numerous pipes that flowed outwards towards the center of the room where the main light source of the lab was found. You looked on in horror as a lone woman was currently suspended in the air, attached to countless tubes that pumped the vile purple liquid directly into her body. Large transparent wings extended from here back as she radiated purple energy into a floating device in front of her, a Vault Key.

“Say hello to our ticket to the Vault cupcake.” Jack’s voice shook you out of your dazed state as he now stood in front of the woman. “Lilith here is a siren, captured her a little while back when she destroyed my last means of charging the Vault Key only for her to just volunteer herself and speed up the process. Isn’t that right Lilith?”

As you walked forward to stand beside Jack, you looked up at Lilith as she struggled. Your body trembled as you remember what Timothy had said about Angel, that she must have been the one originally hooked up to this horrifying machine. 

“G-go to hell Jack. Uhhn-” Lilith cried out as you silently watch Jack plunged a nearby knife into her abdomen, pulling it out agonizingly slow while the wound left behind just healed right back up. 

“She has quite the little mouth on her but lucky for us we don’t really need it.” Jack smirked as you struggled to comprehend what was even happening. Was this even real? After all the countless theories and schemes you thought Jack would have done to awaken the Warrior you never in your right mind could have imagined this nightmare.

“A-and all those lines connected to her?” You hated how unsure your voice sounded as you spoke. 

“Purest eridium to be found on Pandora. That's why the faster we mine eridium, the faster Lilith here charges the vault key. Once it's finished, I'll finally control the warrior and wipe those bandits off my planet.“

“Jack this is- insane.”

Jack folded his arms as he turned towards you, his blue and green eyes glowed intensely as they narrowed on you. “Thought you would be a little bit more excited kitten. After all that whining and complaining about wanting to know how I was gonna save Pandora. How I was gonna wake the Warrior and yet you don’t seem very thrilled.” 

“I just-”

“Don’t tell me you feel sorry for her.”

“No,” the sudden anger in your voice made Jack lift a single brow towards you. ”S-she’s a bandit, right?”

“Yep. Actually, she is more than just that. One of the leaders of those pesky Crimson Raiders we’ve been fighting.”

“Well you know how I feel about Pandora in general Jack. I don’t care for any of them and that hasn’t changed.”

He studied you for a moment, only to relax slightly from your response, “good to hear sweetheart. Never a doubt in my mind you wouldn’t share my sentiment towards those bandit scum and this is just the first step to their suffering.”

You fell silent as you watched Lilith continue to thrash, the different waves of pain that contorted her body sent a shiver down your spine. As much as you didn't care for the bandits of Pandora, you would never wish it upon anyone to feel the same agonizing pain you felt from the liquid eridum though you suspect that what you felt was only a mere fraction of what Lilith was currently enduring. 

Jack once again interrupted your thoughts as he started to walk away. “Now then, let's get back to work shall we?”

Quickly following him back to the travel station, you took one final glance back at Lilith. This was bad, worse than you ever thought Jack would be capable of to fulfil his desires. If this is what he could do to his own daughter then there was no way you wanted to find out what he had in store for you or those you care about. You needed to find a way to keep everyone safe, you needed to come up with a plan, you needed to find Timothy.

\--

The next day Jack had instructed you back to the Medical Ward where you underwent more tests. From one grueling test to another the outcome always felt the same, you were just a shell of your former self with the only sense of strength being that which you regained back on Pandora. While you wish you could find a cure to your current condition, you also thought that maybe this was a blessing in disguise. If Jack hadn't given you a new source of the drug yet it must mean that it wasn't safe to do so without some sort of risk involved but based on the amount of doctors he had assigned to you it would only be a matter of time till he found a solution. You hoped that it would be enough time for you to come up with your own plan to get to Jenna and Timothy before you were fully back under Jack's control.

Leaving the ward back to your apartment, the cold metal walls of the station made you claustrophobic. The sudden reality that you were stuck on a tin can floating in the middle of space was unnerving as you brushed past employees that seemed obvious to the fact. You never understood why these people chose this life, spending their days plotting their next big promotion while licking the boots of their superiors but maybe it was because they did not understand the true horrors that lurked in the shadows of the station. 

As your pace quickened, you continuously looked down at your ECHO Unit. Ever since you arrived on Helios you hadn’t seen or heard from Timothy as you scrolled through the various messages you sent him. You made sure to keep them vague as you were positive Jack was keeping an eye on you at all times but surely it was fine since he was the one that originally allowed you to become friends with Tim. Maybe friends was a loss term, you never really talked to Timothy about what your relationship was but there was definitely a connection. One that wasn’t forced upon you by some addictive DNA seeking drug but if he truly felt the same surely he would have contacted you by now. Maybe there was a reason he was being so distant now, maybe you misjudged your relationship seeing as he was only really meant to be a stand in for Jack, maybe it was all just an act. 

Cursing yourself loudly for even suggesting such a thought, there was no way that was the truth. This was Timothy you were talking about, the sweetest, kindest person you had ever met who helped you through numerous plights and harrowing situations. The one person you felt completely safe with outside Jenna so there was no reason to doubt him but he said he would be here for you, that you weren’t alone anymore. 

As your thoughts continued to rampage your mind, you failed to notice your surroundings as you stumbled straight into an employee. While the impact did not affect your stance, the force made him jerk backwards as the paper cup he held flung forward and drenched you with coffee. You watch as where the liquid met the exposed flesh of your arm, there was a slight warm sensation but the slowly growing red tones that blossomed underneath told you that it was scorching hot. 

“Ugh are you serious? This is just great.” His agitated voice brought your gaze back up to him as he growled, his eyes narrowed on you as you gave him no reaction. “You got anything to say for yourself?” 

You remained silent, sighing at the inconvenience that now you would have to shower once you got back to your apartment.

“Alright moron, I’ll make it simple for you. You gonna apologize for ruining my day by bringing me a new coffee straight to my office, otherwise we are gonna have a problem.”

Rolling your eyes, if this had been any of the other countless times you had stalked these halls you would have made him regret his attitude but right now you couldn’t care less. He was insignificant to the grand horrors that were about to unfold as you started to walk around him.

“Hey, I’m talking to you,” he grabbed the front of your shirt with unexpected strength as he turned you back towards him.

You tensed slightly, the anger inside you cried out for release but it was pointless. You let out a deep breath, “look-”

“Oh it's too late to think about just apologizing. Seems to me that you could use a lesson in… humility.”

Before you could react, his fist swung wide towards you as it connected with your lower jaw. You stumbled backwards out of his grip as you grunted at the pain, the slight taste of metal bit your tongue as you chuckled deeply. 

“Huh. Guess I'm not as numb as I thought. Thanks for that, let me give you my gratitude for showing me.”

Your fist struck him squarely in the nose as it gave off a deafening _crunch_ making him yelped out in pain. As he lifted his hands up to his face, he failed to notice you turn into a roundhouse kick resulting with your boot colliding with the side of his face. Landing heavily on the ground, he laid there motionless as a small smile crossed your lips. Several terrified bystanders watched you in horror as you continued on your way as if nothing was amiss. 

\--

After taking a shower, you had applied some medication and bandages to the burn on your arm as you inspected the bruise that was currently developing on your jaw in the mirror. It was going to be hard to hide it from Jack so you were thinking of some sort of excuse when you unexpectedly heard your apartment door open. Cautiously you peer out into the main room as you set your sights on a familiar man in a brown leather jacket and yellow Hyperion sweater with the hood up standing in the doorway.

“T-”

“Shhh-” Timothy gave off a low hiss as flailed his arms around frantically to interrupt you. 

You gave him a questionable look but remained silent as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small device. It whirled to life as he set it down on the counter beside him.

“Ok, it's safe to talk now.”

“What the hell Tim? Where have you been?”

“Look [Y\N], we don't have much time,” he lowered his hood as he spoke. ”I- what happened to your face?" 

Suddenly he was in front of you, lightly gripping your chin as he turned you to get a better look at your jaw. He eyed you with concern as he examined the faint purple and green tones forming, "did Jack do this?”

“No he didn’t and don't avoid the subject. I’ve been trying to contact you for days now.”

“I couldn’t. Jack has been watching me like a hawk ever since we stepped back on the station. I couldn’t risk him figuring out about ummm- us.”

You furrowed your brow as you could feel the fluttering warmth of butterflies build in your stomach from being so close to Timothy again. While you wanted to know what exactly you were to him this was not the time to figure it out. 

“Fine but we are gonna need to find out some way to communicate because being stuck with him all the time again is not ideal.”

“Ah yeah, about that.” Tim pulled back slightly as he fidgeted nervously. 

“What is it?”

“I’m supposed to be on my way to the shuttle bay right now to head back down to Pandora. Alone.”

"You- you can’t be serious,” the instant feeling of dread washed over you as you realized that one of your worst fears was already coming true.

“Deadly, but you know how Jack is. I’m not really in a position to tell him-” 

“But Tim you-” you could feel your body begin to tremble, the thought of being all alone again terrified you. Timothy quickly clasped both your hands in front of you, providing you with a small sensation of comfort from his touch. 

“[Y/N], just listen to me for a sec will yah? Things are about to get really, really bad around here. It’s not safe.”

You gave off a shaky chuckle, “yah I kinda already figured that.”

“You did?”

“Jack showed me Lilith.”

“You saw- oh jeezus. Ok. No, you really need to leave.”

“What? I told you already, I can't just leave. Not till-”

“You want to keep Jenna safe, I know. But she’s-” 

Tim paused as you watched him intently, your voice now eerily low. “She’s what, Tim?” 

“Ahhh-”

“Timothy, what are you not telling me?”

“S-she’s just not on the station anymore and it’s not safe here with Jack. Please [Y/N], I need you to do this for me. It's the only way I will know you’ll be safe till this is all over.”

“I don’t understand Tim. If she’s not on the station then where is she? And what do you mean till it's over?”

“I can’t tell you that right now and I need to go before Jack notices I’m gone. Please [Y/N], I need you to trust me on this. Just find a way off Helios and meet me on Pandora, I’ll tell you everything then ok?”

His eye begged you softly as you found yourself lost in their gaze. Everything suddenly felt completely out of your control from you finally finding out Jacks plans to now Timothy hinting that Jenna was no longer on Helios, it was too much. You had no idea what you should do but Tim had never led you astray before, you could trust him. 

Taking a deep breath to calm your nerves you gave him a weak smile. “Alright but be careful Tim.”

“Of course, when have I not been?”

“Trouble always seems to find you and I’m not gonna be able to back you up till I get to Pandora.”

He gave off a small chuckle that made you feel butterflies once more. “Ok yah, your right but you need to be careful too. Try your best to avoid Jack as much as possible or at least don’t make him angry. I’ll see you again soon.”

You leaned forward as you captured Timothy in a kiss, you could immediately feel him melt a little from your touch as he embraced you against his body. His lips were soft and sweet, neither one of you overpowering the other as you tenderly showered each other with affection. Pulling away from each other, you take in a sharp inhale as you looked longingly at Timothy before he wordless let you go and headed towards the door. He paused in front with his hand on the handle as he turned back towards you, a tender smile lit his features but there was pain in his eyes as he quickly left with the door gently closing behind him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, thanks for taking the time to read. Please let me know of any errors or helpful criticism.  
> \--  
> After re-reading my work and what I had planned I felt like there was a disconnect on how I portrayed the reader. I spent some time coming up with a better scenario before I tackled a new chapter and I am feeling much more confident with this new direction. Enjoy :)


	16. Chapter 16

Avoiding Jack was like trying to teach a psycho to read; impossible. There was never a single moment outside your apartment where he didn't either keep you firmly in his sights or in the hands of some mad scientist to be experimented on. The first time they injected you with some serum to supposedly stimulate your neurons, you immediately felt a chilling coldness throughout your body as your heart rate began to slow. The sudden wave of dizziness made you delusional as the sound of blaring alarms and frantic yelling sounded muffled in your ears. Your eyes swiftly closed as you fell unconscious for what felt like mere seconds only to be violently awoken gasping for air. Your mind focusing just enough to see Jack holding on to you with one hand while the other held a smoking pistol pointed in the direction where a lifeless corpse now laid. Even after your close encounter with death by some experimental treatment, the tests only intensified as you spent the majority of your time in the Medical Ward under Jack's orders. Though the processes was now excruciating slow as the doctors around you constantly bickered about any side effects and their concern to be next in line for Handsome Jack's wrath should anything happen to you again.

It had only been a few days since Jack showed you Lilith but already you could see how desperate he was becoming to control the Warrior. The bloodshed and carnage he let in his wake on Helios was no short of a massacre, whole departments were wiped out in the blink of an eye as security measures had almost tripled in scale overnight. You had spent any free moment you had scouting out some sort of transport to get to Pandora like you had promised Timothy but your efforts were futile when you found out that no one was being permitted to leave the station. The only sort of transport still in operation being the massive shipments of eridium that Jack continued to mine from the planet's surface. As you sat down on the floor of your apartment with you back against the wall, you were currently typing into the ECHO Unit you held in your lap.

> _Tim, I hope you are able to see my messages. It’s been a while since I last saw you and I wanted to make sure you are doing ok. Jack assures me you are fine but it seems I’m stuck on Helios for the time being. Stay safe._

After pressing send, you let out out a heavy sigh hoping that Timothy would get your hint of ‘being stuck’ or that he was even receiving these messages at all. A long feed of unanswered texts from you displayed on the screen, all wondering how Tim was doing but worded carefully enough not to arouse suspicion as you knew that Jack was watching you closely. Maybe it was a wasted effort to keep sending him these vague messages but whenever you started to feel anxious or alone you always found yourself staring at the screen. It was the one thing you felt kept you sane with the ever growing chaos around you, it helped to keep your darkened thoughts away as they threaten to consume you.

\--

Sitting in the familiar medical room you had become accustomed to, you waited patiently as your gaze was transfixed on the ECHO Unit you once again held in your grasp. Re-reading the feed for what must have been the fortieth time since you arrived, the sound of the door opening pulled your focus away as a lone Hyperion guard now stood in the doorframe.

“[Y/N], follow me.”

You stood up without complaints, it was normal for you to be escorted to other parts of the ward where they would administer more vigorous tests but as you walked behind him you noticed you had not been this way before. The further you followed the guard, the quieter the hallway became as less people roamed the corridor and you passed several unoccupied rooms. Opening a unmarked door with his keycard, the guard gestured you inside.

“In here.”

As soon as you stepped past him you knew something was off, the room itself was an empty boardroom with some basic chairs and a large desk but as you turned to confront the guard the door slammed shut behind you. The lights began to dim around you as you quickly rushed forward towards the access panel only for it to chiming angrily to your presence, leaving you locked inside. Looking around the room for any sort of danger or alternate exit points, the ECHO Unit strapped to your side begins to vibrate vigorously as you took it out from its holster and watched the display begin to show a series of numbers and symbols for a few moments until it restarted.

 _STARTING CONNECTION._  
_ROUTING OVERRIDE CODE: PR0J3C7-4N63L._  
_CONNECTING ESTABLISHED._  
>  
> **4N0NYM0U5** : _Hello Ghost._  
>  
> **4N0NYM0U5** : _Please respond._

You stared at the screen hesitantly before scanning the room once more, there were no visible windows, displays or surveillance cameras which you figured someone would spy on you with. Whoever was sending you these messages was smart, their ability to isolating you and hack into a secure ECHO Unit all within a matter of minutes made your skin crawl with how vulnerable you currently were. Survival instincts quickly kicked in as you turned off the unit and placed it down on the table, your eyes focusing on a single vent located in the side panel of the wall. With shaky hands you pulled out a dagger and began to pry at the metal, managing to wedge the blade between the gap but no matter how much you pulled the grate failed to budge. Cursing under your breath, you mustered all the strength you had to attempt to wrench it free once more when you noticed a dull light from behind you. Turning back, the device that you had turned off now illuminated your surroundings as you watched it for a moment before it vibrated against the hard wooden surface. Cautiously, you picked it back up as the display once again addressed you.

> **4N0NYM0U5** : _Do not ignore me._  
>  
> _Who the hell is this?_  
>  
> **4N0NYM0U5** : _My identity is not important. What is important is that you listen to what I have to say._  
>  
> _Why is that?_  
>  
> **4N0NYM0U5** : _Because you need my help as much as I need yours._  
>  
> _Your help? Aren't you the one that locked me in this room?_  
>  
> **4N0NYM0U5** : _A temporary measure. Handsome Jack can't know we are able to communicate so I had you lured away._  
>  
> _All the more reason this is just an elaborate trap._  
>  
> **4N0NYM0U5** : _It’s not. I know Jack is about to wake the Warrior, I need your help to slow him down._  
>  
> _I’m not interested in being your little pawn in whatever game you're playing with Jack._  
>  
> **4N0NYM0U5** : _I can help you get off Helios._  
>  
> _No thanks, I don’t need your help and I'm not risking my life for some random hacker that got lucky on figuring out my identity._  
>  
> **4N0NYM0U5** : _I have information on Jenna._

The text on the screen sent a shiver down your spine, how did they know about Jenna? There were only two people other than yourself that should have known that name but yet you couldn’t think this would be Jack or Timothy. It was dangerous to get mixed up with this person but if they knew something about Jenna you needed to know.

> **4N0NYM0U5** : _Do I have your attention now?_  
>  
> _Tell me._  
>  
> **4N0NYM0U5** : _If you do what I ask then I will._  
>  
> _No, you either tell me right now or I'll rat you out to Jack as soon as I find a way out of this room._  
>  
> **4N0NYM0U5** : _I can’t have you do that, Ghost. I need your cooperation if we have any chance at slowing Jack's efforts to charge the Vault Key. Please hear me out._  
>  
> _And If you truly know anything about me then you know I don't take her name lightly. You want my help, you're gonna tell me everything you know right now._

Your grip on the device tightened, threatening to crack the unit's shell as you focused solely on the illuminated screen. Seconds felt like minutes as your lips curled into a snarl from how long it took for the sender to respond.

> **4N0NYM0U5** : _Are you sure?_

The question took you off guard, why wouldn’t you want to know? What kind of secrets was everyone hiding from you? First Timothy alluding that something has happened to her and now this complete stranger who questioned your motives to even wanting to find her again; you needed answers.

> _Yes. I’ll agree to work with you if you tell me what happened to Jenna._

There was another agonizing delay as you waited in the eerily silent room.

> **4N0NYM0U5** : _Alright._  
>  
_TRANSFER IN PROGRESS._  
_TRANSFER COMPLETE: VIDEO FILE - subjectGHOST_injectionResult-1337-02_

Opening the file, you are greeted by a grainy video of surveillance footage as it began to automatically play. It was set at a awkward angle as it looked down from a hidden section in the ceiling towards the front of a glass enclosure with the soft light from inside illuminating the dark surrounding. After a few moments, a woman in a white lab coat walked into frame as she stopped in front with her gaze set on the ECHO Pad she held. As soon as the light touched her, you instantly could make out the familiar features of Jenna’s face as you continued to watch silently. As she stood there she began entering some information into the device, something you assumed was a normal procedure for her when you noticed something shimmering in the shadows beside her. There was a faint glow of purple that caught your eye for only a split second before it disappeared back into the darkness but as you squinted to see if you could spot it again you instead watched as a lone figure stepped out and ensnare Jenna from behind. With their backs towards the camera, you could not make out what was happening but the sound of the ECHO Pad crashing to the floor and Jenna’s muffled cry for help echoed through the speaker. In horror you watched as swiftly the assailant’s arm outstretched in one smooth motion from her neck, the dull light glistened off the dagger they held in their hand. Crimson blood sprayed upon the glass as Jenna fell limp to the ground, a dark pool forming beneath her. Time froze as you stared at the screen blankly, the figure stood unmoving above her as the camera zoomed into enough to see the attacker’s shoulders heave up and down as they slowly turned. You suddenly let out the breath you had been holding as you watched yourself looked directly towards the camera, blood splattered across your face as two glowing purple eyes peered menacingly at you.

Abruptly the video stops as you stayed completely still, a shaky breath passed through your lips as you watched the screen shift back to the message feed.

> **4N0NYM0U5** : _Ghost?_

The room felt as suddenly shrunk in size as it enclosed around you, your heart ached harshly as you desperately clutched at your chest. Each beat pounded thunderously in your ears as you gasped for air when the growing darkness began to seep into your lungs. With one single moment, the walls you had built to keep the vile corruption of Pandora and Handsome Jack at bay were now crumbling down around you as it devoured you hungrily. Your body trembled as you relived the sight of watching Jenna die over and over in your mind until you felt the your ECHO Unit vibrate once more.

> **4N0NYM0U5** : _Please respond. We don’t have much time left._  
>  
> _No._  
>  
> **4N0NYM0U5** : _I’m sorry, Ghost._  
>  
> _That can’t be. You're lying!_  
>  
> **4N0NYM0U5** : _I have no reason to lie to you. This is back dated before Handsome Jack took Lilith._

This couldn’t be happening. This wasn’t right. There was no way that was real. Jenna couldn’t be dead and not by your hands, you wouldn’t have let that happen, you would have remember something like-

A cold snap rippled through your body as your mind raced back to the last image of the video. How you stood there in a torn black dress, blood stained your skin from head to toe with those cold purple-tinted eyes that glowed against the shadows. It was the night that you couldn’t remember, the one when Jack injected you with another dose of the drug after leaving you in that cell to undergo unbearable pain from its withdrawal only to consciously find yourself standing inside his office all alone.

As tears ran down your face, your blood began to boil with an intense heat you had long forgotten. For once the numbness in your skin was completely drowned away by the searing fury you now held for Jack. All this time you trusted him, you followed him blindly for so long and all you ever asked from him was to keep her safe. Instead you finally understood how far Jack was willing to go to keep you under his control. In that moment, you silently vowed that Jack would suffer for everything he had done to you. For all the lies he told you, for all the time he manipulated you to do his bidding; he had inadvertently released the last remaining shackle that bound you to him.

Turning your anger back at the screen, you read the previous message again. If this hacker knew about you, about Jenna and about Lilith then they were also someone that could help you exact revenge on Jack.

> _What is it you want me to do?_  
>  
> **4N0NYM0U5** : _The man outside will give you supplies to set up remote charges to be placed in key areas under the eridium processing facility on Helios. Once placed I will send you coordinates for your extraction to Pandora._  
>  
> _And you think you can stop Jack?_  
>  
> **4N0NYM0U5** : _Not alone but yes, we will stop him and save our friend._

Not alone, those words stuck out to you. All your life you had always been alone, fighting for a singular self pertaining goal but for the first time you found yourself aligned with others. There was no way you would be able to stop Jack by yourself but maybe with their help there was still hope you would be able to burn his kingdom of terror to the ground.

> _Alright. I’m on it._

As soon as you replied, the door to the locked room opened as the guard that brought you here stepped forward. Placing down a black duffle bag and a loaded pistol on the table before he quickly wished you good luck and disappeared back into the hallway. Inspecting the gear, there were several explosives wrapped in a mess of tangled wires with a few extra clips of ammo sprinkled inside as you carefully secured the bag to your back. Your ECHO Unit vibrated once more as you were sent a map of Helios that displayed two distinct markers located deep in the heart of the station.

Without hesitation, you exited the room and headed down the hallway back towards the busy section of the ward. As soon as the first employee was within range, you swiftly pulled them into an unoccupied room as you rendered them unconscious, taking their lab coat and Hyperion issued Employee ID card. Entering back into the hall, you seamlessly blended in with the other employees as you stealthy made your way through the ward. Once you could see the entrance to the rest of Helios you spotted the station of guards that ensured no one was allowed in and out without being scanned for identification through the Hyperion network. Quickly observing your options, you spotted a large crowd of employees heading towards the exit as you merged with their ranks. As you each waited to be scanned through, you quietly swapped cards with the gentlemen in front of you resulting in the machine rejecting his identification as the guards swiftly drew their weapons forward. The man began to tremble in fear as he lifted his hands, attempting to give an explanation when you casually pushed him forward into one of them. The ensuing chaos of the guards restraining the man left you with an opening as you effortlessly weaved your way through and out into Helios.

With the first hurdle out of the way, you were making your way towards a service elevator when a pulse of electricity began to emitted from your palm. The embed chip in your hand sparked to life as you quickly ducked out of sight behind a nearby display of exotic plants. A wave of pain radiated through your arm as you stumbled forward to sit behind your makeshift cover, leaving you breathless as you struggled to grab one of the daggers from your belt. Through clenched teeth you tried to muffle your cries as you sent the blade directly into your palm, blood oozing from your inflicted wound as the mixture of pains overwhelmed your limited senses. Taking a sharp breath, you began to move the knife till it edged the foreign object in your skin and with a jagged twist, you popped it out from its resting place. Instantly the electric pain subsided as the electronic chip and dagger clattered to the floor, your body relaxing briefly as you laid there for a moment trying to steady your rapid heartbeat. The rush of adrenaline was starting to fade as you ripped off a section of the lab coat and wrapped it around your hand in an attempt to stem the bleeding. Flexing your hand a few times you found you could no longer enclose your fist completely, your fingers trembled as a numbing sensation completely encompassed them. Gritting your teeth, you lamented in the fact that this would have to be a small price to pay as you stood tall and headed back towards the service elevator once more. No matter what your body had to endure, you would not rest until you saw Jack’s precious plans burn to ashes.

\--

Once in the bowels of Helios, it was easy to sneak your way through the shadows to your first location. Avoiding any interaction with the sparse employees and security on the maintenance level, you arrived at a large enclosed chamber with a singular metal vat that took up a majority of the room and extended into the floor above. Figuring this was the desired target for the denotator, you placed the first charge of explosives just out of line of sight as you flipped a switch that turned the warhead on. It wasn't long till you found the second location, a similar room though a few supply crates and metal boxes also occupied the space. As you set the final explosive and turned it on, you wonder what Jack was currently doing while you were busy sneaking around his station when you got your answer. The chilling sound of alarms began to blast through the speakers as the door of the chamber slammed shut. Red flashing lights emanated as a set of turrets unfolded from the adjacent walls and began to fire in your direction. Quickly ducking behind the nearest cover, you held the pistol in your good hand before returning fire. With a few clean shots, you had managed to take out both turrets before they could fully chip away at your makeshift cover when the steel doors opened once more to reveal a small unit of guards now advancing in your direction. With a barrage of covering fire, you took out a few as you moved to cover closer to the back of the chamber while the remaining men took up formation around the vat. With no way out but through them, you quickly reload your gun as you heard the captain shout out orders to you.

“[Y/N], you are to show yourself immediately and surrender peacefully. Direct orders from Handsome Jack.”

You scoffed a little under your breath that by saying his name you were expected to just instantly give up but maybe this could give you an advantage. With your arms raised, you stood up from your cover to see several guards all pointing their weapons towards you with the captain standing directly in front of the vat unknowing of the blinking detonator just behind him.

“Alright since you asked so nicely, here I am. But you forgot something captain,” a small smile crossed your lips as you eyed him casually. “I don’t listen to Jack anymore.”

In the blink of an eye, you lined up your pistol with the hidden explosive as a single bullet rang out before a massive explosion overtook the chamber. Shielding yourself back behind cover, the scream of the unexpected guards cried out before quickly being snuffed out leaving the room quiet once more when the trembling ground and dust filled air settled. Looking back, twisted metal and debris filled the room as the corpse of the fallen could be seen scattered among the wreckage. The sound of distant alarms still rang out as you pulled out your ECHO Unit once more.

> _Had to set off one of your explosives early. How do I get off Helios?_  
>  
> **4N0NYM0U5** : _You need to get to one the Moonshot Facilities. I’m sending you a fast travel code now._

Navigating your way through, you left in a hurry towards the nearest fast travel station as you entered the code your hacker friend provided. Quickly you were whisked away to an open loading bay overlooking Pandora with a central raised platform in front of large metal container that was already lined up to the Moonshot's cylinder chamber.

> _I'm here, now what._  
>  
> **4N0NYM0U5** : _There is an terminal just in front of the main Moonshot Loading Bay. You will need to manually restart the system again before I can take control._

Quickly located the panel, you entered the standard Hyperion restart button sequence when a woman's voice emanated from a nearby speaker.

_Moonshot Canon warm-up sequence initiated._

The control panels around you began to light up one at a time as the distinct hum of machinery starting up sounded out into the air.

_Diverting power from all available resources. Sections alpha-_

The voice cut off as you watched skeptically, the dials began to flash in different intervals before locking to a solid red color.

_Sequence aborted. Override code accepted. Moonshot Canon is now on lockdown._

“What? No, stupid machine. Come on!” 

Frantically you began to type into the console, re-entering the startup sequence, providing override codes you had memorized while working for Jack, doing anything you could think of to get the machine back online but nothing worked. The console remained locked as you smashed your good fist down onto the console's panel, cursing at your constant bad luck in these types of situations. As you went to reach for your ECHO Unit to find a new escape route, you heard the sound of unmistakable footsteps on metal emanate from right behind you. Swiftly turning around, your eyes narrowed as you growled lowly at the man who now stood a few feet from you.

“Jack.”

“I should have known this was gonna happen. Soon as you came back from that wretched planet you just had to go and ruin everything we had together.”

Jack stood tall with his arms folded in front of his broad chest, his head tilted slightly as his blue and green eyes pierced you with their gaze. For once you didn’t feel frozen under their glare, the burning hatred that you felt for him boiled to the surface as it melted any chilling effects he had over you.

“We didn’t have anything.”

“Is that what you think? That everything I did for you was for nothing?”

“You used me Jack! Made me into something where my will was not my own.”

“I’m hurt cupcake. After all my sacrifices to make you perfect, you're still so blinded by your own selfish needs.” Jack gave off a deep chuckle that made his shoulders bounce lightly. “But then again, you always did fail to just follow the simplest orders.”

A piercing sting emerged from the side of your neck as you swiftly pulled out the intrusive object, a needle still leaking a clear substance was attached to a robotic arm as you turned quickly back towards him. Before you even had the chance to muster some sort of response, your head pounded against your skull as your muscles suddenly went slack. The sound of a sickening _thud_ echoed against the metal room as you crashed to the floor unmoving, your eyes felt heavy as you watched Jack crouched down before you as he guided your face towards him. A weak snarl befell your lips as darkness began to creep over your vision, the last intake of light highlighting Jack's flawless face as he grinned wickedly down at you.

"Sleep tight kitten."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, thanks for taking the time to read. Please let me know of any errors or helpful criticism.


	17. Chapter 17

When you wake up next everything is excruciatingly bright; the floor, the walls, the dull lights that flicker above you. Your head hung low as you slowly opened your eyes to see yourself currently sitting on a metal chair, your legs and arms strapped down with the palms of your hands facing upwards. The previously crimson soaked bandage that was wrapped around your hand had been replaced with a fresh binding as if it had been carefully tended to.

“Have a good nap there sweetheart?”

The sound of Jack’s voice echoed through the room as you quickly snapped your gaze to see him leisurely standing with his back against the far wall, his hands folded in front as his face was neutral of expression. He watched you with a piercing gaze as you gave off a low audible growl when your lips snarled in his direction.

“You sure did make a mess this time [Y/N]. I mean, what gotten into you kitten? First you come back completely broken from that backwater planet and instead of sitting on the sideline like a team player you try to blow up my station? Really, I got to know.”

“Making sure you get what you deserve, you bastard.”

“Language. Geez if I knew you were gonna act like this I would have kept you locked up till I had more time to deal with your little rebellion phase.”

“Phase? This isn’t some _phase_ , Jack. I’m going to rip you apart when I get my hands on you.”

“Are you trying to turn me on pumpkin? Because seriously it's kinda working. If you want my attention you only had to ask but you're just so god-damn sexy when you're mad.”

“You killed her!” Tugging harshly at your bindings, you tried to find a flaw in their hold but you ultimately gave up after a few fleeting attempts. The rush of anger that course through your body at the mere sight of Jack made your lips curl harshly as you flashed your canines with a darkened gaze.

“See? Hot. Still don’t know what you're talking about though because I’ve killed a whole lot of people lately.”

“I’m talking about Jenna, you asshole. I trusted you!”

“Oh, so that’s what this is all about. Man, that was so long ago I had completely forgotten all about it.”

Jack pushed off the wall with ease as he stalked closer to you, a surge of panic rippled through your body as you tried to lean back into the chair away from his advancement. The bindings kept you firmly stationary as Jack placed his dominant hand down onto your shoulder, sending a mild jolt of pain from its fierce grip. Intaking a sharp breath, you focused on the relentless hatred burning inside you as you desperately tried to fight off the urge to be frightened by him.

“So you finally found out the big secret huh? Good for you cupcake but as I recall it, I wasn’t the one who killed her. You only got yourself to blame for that.”

You could feel yourself tremble from how his lowered voice sent icy shivers down your body, the numb state of your body only amplifying the chilling effects he had over you. “T-that wasn’t me.”

“Oh but it was. I don’t know how you found out but rest assured that was all you baby. It’s a real shame you don't remember it."

Hearing Jack confirm that you were the one that killed Jenna made your heart stop beating once more. There had been a small sliver of hope that whoever the hacker was that sent you the original video was lying but there was no reason for Jack to do so. Remembering the grainy camera feed, your mind focused on the purple dagger that had slit across Jenna’s throat without hesitation. The same one you had used countless times at Jack's commands that ended your victims lives in a single brief moment. You let out a shameful choked sound as you imagined Jenna’s cold lifeless eyes staring up at you while a small trail of blood trickled from her lips.

“You know, I've always found it so fascinating watching you work. There really is someone quite beautiful in how you stalk through the shadows unseen as you ruthlessly end someone’s pathetic existence so effortlessly. If only people knew the deadly nightmare I currently have under my grasp.”

“I’m not some beast you control Jack," you snapped as the burning desire to punch him straight in his smug face flared once more. A low chuckle rumbled from his chest as Jack finally let go of you and slowly began to circle around your bound form, like a vicious predator about to devour his helpless prey.

“No, you're so much more than that but I do like the idea of you as a pet.”

“I’ll never be your obedient pet. I know the truth now. Nothing was ever my choice. You've been using me ever since I stepped on this shithole of a station but not any more.”

“Sure maybe I gave you a little...guidance but I needed you to be focused sweetheart. Watching you struggle against your inner demons all the time was a hassle. Wasn’t it better when you didn’t have to worry about anything? Can’t you remember how good it felt to be by my side?”

“I- ” you hesitated for a moment. Looking back at all the memories you had with Jack didn’t seem so bad. All the good times you had at his suite, the pride you felt when he complimented your skills, the passion you shared in his bed. For a single moment you questioned yourself only to be starkly reminded of the countless bodies that laid in his wake, the never ending bloodshed you were apart of, the horrific torture you suffered by his hands. You growled once more at how the things Jack offered you in one hand only distracted you from the chains he held in the other.

“Jack, you-”

“It's ok [Y/N]. You don’t have to worry about anything ever again because I’m here and I am more than willing to tell all you bandits how not to be a complete waste of space.”

“What did you just say?”

Jack stopped in front of you as he placed his hands on his hips, he let out a heavy sigh as he shook his head several times. “Come on kiddo, wake up already will yah? You know, for someone who thinks they know everything, you honestly don’t know jack-shit. See what I did there?”

“I’m not a bandit.”

“Of course you are. You think just because you got an easy ride being under my care for so long that it suddenly changes who you really are? You're just another greedy bandit that needed Handsome Jack to show you the error of your ways. Granted you're a lot more useful than those shiver-brains that currently infest Pandora.”

You suddenly found yourself lost for words, Timothy was right; you were never special to Jack. If you only heeded his words earlier you could have seen the truth faster.

"But that won't be for much longer. See I've already started moving everything down to the Vault. You're just the last loose end before it all begins."

With a snap of his fingers, the heavy metal door at the other end of the room opened as a skittish scientist wheeled in an enclosed case before swiftly leaving again. Jack gave you a devilish smile as he never broke eye contact with you through the brief interruption, leaving you questioning what he had planned.

“So what, you're just gonna kill me?”

“Oh no no no. I'm not letting you go so easy. You still have your part to play in all this.”

“If you think that I'm ever gonna help you again Jack, you got another thing coming.”

“You don’t get a choice in this kitten. You're still mine after all and I take care of my things.”

Jack turned as he placed his back between you and the case, the sound of the steel locks popping open rang out as he slowly lifted the lid. A small river of mist seeped out of the container as you watched him with concern for a moment before he turned back towards you. Outstretched in his hands was a sizable medical syringe, giving it a quick squeeze as the darken purple liquid inside it oozed out of the needle’s tip.

Your eyes widened at the sight of the drug as you vigorously pulled against your restraints. “What do you think you are doing? Get that away from me!”

“Stay still pumpkin. You’ve already made this worse than it needs to be for yourself.”

Using one hand to grip your upper arm harshly, Jack ended your useless thrashing as he sunk the needle directly into the crease of your elbow. The hot flash of pain was instantly noticeable as tears pricking the sides of your eyes and a gut wrenching scream left your lips.

"No, stop. Please stop." your cries echoed through the small chamber as you begged and pleaded for him to not inject you with the liquid eridium. Helplessly you watched the syringe slowly became empty, any hope you had to escape Jack's control vanished as the fiery drug once again crawled though your veins. A stifled sob passed your lips as you felt hot tears roll down you cheeks, the never ending nightmare that was Handsome Jack continued to torment you but in this moment all you could think about was Timothy. For a brief moment you felt a flash of rage as you tried to rationalize why he wasn't here when you needed him, why he wasn't able to come save you from this madness but you knew it wasn't his fault. He had warned you, told you to leave before it was too late but you failed to listen; maybe Jack was right, you were bad at following simple instructions. A sudden burst of heat radiating from your chest left you breathless as you closed your eyes, wishing you could see Tim one last time. So you could tell him how sorry you were that you couldn't keep your promise, to tell him how thankful you were to have him in your life though it may have only been for a short period of time.

The icy numbness you had gotten used to slowly melted as the overwhelmingly feeling of the world around you encapsulated your senses. The cold air that nipped at your exposed skin, the irritating rope that bound you to the sturdy chair. A shaky breath fell from your chapped lips as the feeling of a muscular hand brush against the side of your face.

“F-fuck you Jack.”

“Maybe later. We got more important things to do.”

Your body ached from the rapid change that the drug induced, his gentle touch made your mind stir with hatred but you could feel your blood begin to agonizingly hum for more of Jack's DNA. Resisting the urge, you attempted to pulled away as you gasped from the unexpected pain from your action. You could feel your mind beginning to cloud over from the overindulging information being fed to it but Jack’s enticing voice continued to stay in focus.

“How are you feeling kitten? You didn’t give me enough time to properly test this new dose but you forced my hand didn’t you? Any discomfort? Pain?”

“Nghh-” the constant waves of heat made it hard to answer as you struggled for control.

“Good.”

You let out a jarring sigh as the warm touch of his hand left your skin though you were unsure if it was because you were relieved that he no longer was touching you or that you were upset that he wasn’t. Time became painfully slow as you lowered your gaze to the arm the needle had penetrated, the steady beat of your heart escalated when you noticed the now vibrate purple veins that laid just underneath your skin. You could feel your mind cry out in distress as you quickly squint your eyes shut, hoping that it was only some sort of illusion. Opening them once more, you felt a heavy ache in your chest from noticing the very blatant glow now emanating from your blood. As you continued to try and assert what was happening you began to notice something else was off, that your edges of your vision also seemed to be discolored.

“Eyes on me,” Jack's growl penetrated deep in your mind as you instantly felt the desire to follow his command but instead you clung on to whatever last will of defiance you still had and kept your gaze low.

“I said, Eyes. On. Me.” The hard grip of his hand on your jaw sent a feverish shiver down your spine as you were forced to look up. His daunting gaze made you cower in fear though you felt your body completely relax to his touch, the steady deep breaths you took only exemplified the lack of control you now had. Slowly you could feel your mind become muddled as the noticeable purple tint of your vision was in full contrast to his blue and green eyes.

“Beautiful.”

Your blood vibrated loudly to his voice as you stared unblinking towards him, his signature smirk crossed his lips as you felt the shallow craving to feel them on yours.

“Now ghost, tell me who you belong to.”

Your lips parted slightly, ready to answer him but the last bit of resolve you had stopped you from doing so. Jack’s grip tightened as a sharp pulse of pain made you flinch.

“Don’t make me repeat myself.”

"Jah-augh."

"Who? I don't think I quite heard you cupcake. Speak louder."

"H-handsome Jack."

"That's right and this time you won't forget it because that's what you asked for wasn’t it? To not become mindless as you put it?”

You knitted your eyebrows as his statement, confused why he would say that when you remember the moment. He was referring to the night after he had reintroduced you to the drug from your first withdrawal, that tender moment in his suite when you told him you would do anything he asked of you so long as you could remember it.

“See I’ve been experimenting with this for a long time [Y/N]. Trying to create eridium enhanced soldiers that would follow my every order without question but the only people who can survive a straight injection of the stuff were sirens.“

Jack huffed as he let go of you and continued his monologue.

“Really hard to make an army if there are only six sirens that can exist at any given moment so instead I opted to make a water down version of the drug. One that could be ingested in small doses which you should know all too well by now. It obviously had promising results but I knew you could be so much more with the right amount of eridium. And oh boy, you would not believe the stuff you were capable of with just a little bit more in your system but there was a catch wasn’t there.”

He began to casually circle around you once more as your gaze looked forward without a focus.

“You basically became a walking zombie kiddo. Lacking any cognitive thought like a damn inbred bandit and we couldn’t have that. It felt like such a waste for you.”

You wanted to growl at the unflattering comparison he just made about you but only your steady breath ever passed though your lips.

“So I had my men working overtime to figure out some way to make it work where you could handle the increased eridium when you just went ahead and stopped taking the damn pills without my consent! Really I was upset when they first told me the news, pumpkin. After all that hard work I did to make you perfect was just rotted away by Pandora’s corruption but as it turns out this was just what we needed.”

Your mind paused at the implication of his words, what did he mean by ‘just what we needed’? As Jack stopped in front of you, he crouched down so you no longer needed to look up to match his gaze when he finally gave you the answer to your unspoken question.

“You see, since you survived not constantly being fed a new dose of eridium your body naturally created the key to sustaining yourself. An antibody that merged the last remaining eridium in your system with your blood cells. The crucial ingredient to unlocking how to injecting eridium into non-sirens without them dying a gruesome death. Gods you're just too good to me, you know?”

Jack’s hand lightly caressed your thigh as your mind commanded your body to move away, only to receive a scorching wave of pain from the attempt to regain control.

“Soon with your help I am going to have not only the Warrior but a whole army of super soldiers that are willing to do my bidding. And it's all thanks to you [Y/N].”

The purple glow around your vision intensified as your body focused solely on Jack, your blood continued to vibrate at his praise which only sickened you more. The way your breath hitched as he freely stroked you without repercussion made you want to lash out in anger but never once did your body move to react.

“So what do you say ghost? Should we go show everyone how perfect you truly are?”

You wanted to scream, to show Jack that you would continue to fight him every step of the way but you couldn’t. You hated how you no longer felt like yourself, trapped in your own body as it craved to serve Jack. You could feel the last lingering will you held onto shattered, rendering you complacent to his control.

“Of course Jack.”

The smile he gave you was borderline wicked as he pulled out a familiar purple dagger as he freed you from your bindings. He held the blade out towards you as you instinctually took it, find that your grip no longer tremble like it did without the drug.

“With me kitten.”

Wordlessly, you followed Jack out of the room and into the larger laboratory outside. Nothing pulled your gaze away from him as you kept yourself at pace with his strides, never leaving his looming shadow. It wasn’t long till you came to a brisk halt behind him as one of the nearby scientists addressed him.

“Handsome Jack, sir. We rounded up the defective test subjects as you requested.”

“Good. Open the door.”

“Right away sir.”

With a press of a button, the adjacent observatory door began to open as Jack wrapped an arm around your waist. Pulling you flush to his warmth, you could feel your body melt at the touch though your mind flickered on the thought of pushing away.

“Your time to shine [Y/N]. Reminded me of what you're capable of. Impress me.”

The way Jack whispered into your ear made your blood sing loudly in response, eager to please him with your talents. With a small encouraging push, you step into the dark room beyond as the smell of stale blood and urine penetrates your nose. You tinted-gaze scanned the room to see all manners of men, women, and children currently occupied the cramped space. The sounds of muffled cries of fear mixed with the sharp wails of pain sung through the air as you spotted the dull shades of purple that emanated from their skin and eyes, their bodies mutated by the drugs’ effects though some were are different stages than others. The overstimulation of your sense made your blood cry for relief as you suddenly snapped to the closest target, their neck swiftly rotating with a thunderous _crack_ as their body toppled to the ground. The shrill scream of a woman pierced your ears as some prisoners began to scramble to get farther away though some seemed already lost in their minds as the hardly noticed your presence. For the few that tried to hold their ground against your one-sided rampage, they easily met their end with a swift strike from your dagger as you continued your advancement. One by one you ripped and teared them all apart without remorse as you watched the last fleeting moments of lives leave their glowing eyes. When it was over, you stood silently in the center of the room bathed in the familiar crimson blood that stained your skin. A single tear rolled down your cheek as you felt your soul ache for the massacre you just committed. Why couldn’t you stop yourself? All you could do was watch in horror as your body contorted into the deadly killer Jack wanted. Was this how it was when you killed Jenna? You desperately wished that you could take back what you said, you wanted to be mindless if this was what Jack had is store for you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, thanks for taking the time to read. Please let me know of any errors or helpful criticism.  
> \--  
> Hey I just wanted to say thanks again to everyone who been reading. We are about to come up on 1k hits on this story which is a first for me so thank you all in advance. Your kudos and comments are all very generous and I hope your still looking forward to the insane final chapters I have planned.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a small warning of referenced smut in this chapter. Not comfortable enough to go into details but I hope its enough to spark your imagination alittle.

Cold. Sterile. Bare. Your conclusion to your current environment: unpleasant. You sat in the center of an empty glass chamber, one that was eerily similar to those you had seen being used to studying wild creatures for various experiments. You gazed blankly at the glass window in front of you, letting out a discrete huff of air at how you couldn’t stop yourself from analyzing everything. The stale recycled air that pumped into the isolated room that irritated your nose from its lack of impurities. The bright overhead lights that were meant to blind you from watching the Hyperion employees outside though you could see them clear as day. The thick glass that was meant to stop you from hearing their hushed conversations though you could without issue. It was irritating, how fast your senses intake information only to toss it aside when you deemed it irrelevant. It was like you were aware of everything and nothing at the same time.

Your eyes slowly traced down to your left arm, a steady stream of the enhanced eridium was currently being fed straight into your veins. The different shades of purple swirled through the clear tubing as you watched it slowly enter your bloodstream. The glow below your skin at first made you uncomfortable, your mind crying out for you to pull the needle out but you now found those voices hushed. There was still a constant nagging in the back of your mind that you were in danger but as the intense heat in your veins had finally settled to a low simmer you started to feel less anxious. Rubbing your thumb over the fingertips on your injured hand, the light tingling sensation you felt seemed unnatural. It was only a few hours ago you had grieved at losing your sense of touch only for it miraculously returned as though it was never gone. Recalling seeing Lilith being able to instantly heal herself from the wounds Jack inflicted made you wonder if this was something similar though you were not a siren, the increased eridium seeming to impact your body in ways you couldn’t even begin to imagine. A persistent thought in the back of your mind kept trying to grab your attention, the tantalizing impulse to just get up and leave this displeasing room by overpowering the next employee that came to check on you. It would be so easy with the new surge of strength that was coursing through your body but each time you commanded your body to take action nothing happened.

_“Stay and don’t move till I come back.”_

Jack’s words constantly echoed in your mind, keeping you compliant to his orders as you never left your seated position. The seven hours you now had spent in this maddening state was starting to take its toll. The fact that you even knew how long it had been since he left you here was more than enough evidence to make you feel some sort of concern but as soon as you settled on the idea your mind was already forgetting all about it. The steady influx of information was exhausting but you never felt tired enough for the need to sleep, the gnawing feeling of danger in the back of your mind flaring at how that abnormal all this seemed to be.

Your blood began to hum loudly as your mind snapped to focus, their sole desires were in full view as Jack stood on the other side of the glass. The world around you blurred as your senses fixated on him, his daunting mix-matched eyes meeting yours as some employee was updating him on your progress. Even though you could hear every word they were telling Jack your mind quickly dismissed them, not registering their meaning. Jack on the other hand seemed to be pleased as a devilish smirk crossed his lips.

“Show me.”

His words were clear as day when a panel behind you began to open. You didn’t move, still devoted to watching Jack as the sound of talons scratching on the metal floor and a soft _swoosh_ of an electrical current sparked in your ears. The room stayed still for a few moments, it was clear to you that you were no longer alone though you couldn’t see the intruder till you saw a faint shimmer in the corner of your eye. Without warning your once slack muscles came to life as you violently reached out and grabbed the creature as it leaped towards you. The stalker screeched as you held it aloft, uncloaking as its talons racked into your skin. Purple tinted blood slowly seeping down your arm as your grip on its neck tightened and after a few moments an audible snap rang out. Your eyes never leaving Jack's as you released your hand and the creature's body fell to the floor.

“Speed and strength are both up 200% from initial testing. Subject is still responding within acceptable vital parameters. A full success, sir.”

The scientist beside Jack beamed with pride as he completed his analysis, looking for approval from the CEO. With his arms folded in front, Jack's eyes sparkled in the dull light outside.

“Never a doubt. Right kitten?”

“Jack,” you didn’t know if he could hear you through the glass but the wolfish grin he gave you told you otherwise.

\--

Unceremoniously draped over the desk in Jack’s office, his hand on the back of your neck pushed you into the hard surface as the other one on your hip to keep you still. After leaving the lab he joked to you about needing some ‘stress relief’ and after one thing led to another, you were being scorched head to toe by his incessant touches. A feral grunt came from behind you as you felt the sudden pressure inside you cease and a cool liquid now splattered on your back.

“Just what I needed sweetheart.” Jack’s voice was husky as you could hear the distinct sound of him zipping up his pants. “Why don’t you get yourself all cleaned up, hmm?”

It wasn’t a question, your body instantly recognized the command as you upright yourself and made your way into the private bathroom adjacent to his office. Turning on the shower to a tolerable temperature, you quickly removed any lingering blood or other bodily fluids from your skin. A heavy sigh leaving your lips once you deemed yourself ‘cleaned up’ to Jacks standards, the craving to satisfy his command now sated as the heat in your veins began to cool. It would only be a matter of time till you felt the endless hunger returned as you decided to hastily finish your shower. Taking one for the ridiculously plush towels Jack kept in stock, you started to dry yourself off when you slowed your movements as you approached the mirror. Wiping off the light layer of fog off the surface, you could see the mass of bruise and bite marks that littered your upper chest and neck. They were all still tender to the touch but the pain was tolerable as you could already tell they showed signs of healing.

A sudden touch of wetness hit your cheeks as you reached up to feel fresh tears as they streamed down your face. Looking at your unblinking purple eyes that reflected in the mirror, a pulse of grief vibrated through your body but as soon as you felt it your senses were already replacing the feeling with new information. No matter what you did you couldn’t seem to focus on anything other than Jack’s commands. Desperately trying to wipe the tears away, you couldn’t stop your perpetual crying as your thoughts ran rampant in your mind.

_What is wrong with me?_  
_That soap I used is lavender and hazelnut scented._  
_There was nothing I could have done._  
_There is still moisture on my skin from not completely drying off._  
_It was foolish to think I ever had control._  
_My body temperature will continue to drop without proper clothing._  
_Why am I upset? I brought this on myself._  
_It's been 16 minutes and 48 seconds since I entered the bathroom._  
_I’m a monster, I always have been._  
_I need to get back to Jack._

The thought of Jack instantly hushed all the voices in your head, the tears stopping their flow as your mind prioritized him. The building heat in your veins from just thinking about him was exhausting as they cried out for you to return to his side. Finishing drying yourself off properly and getting into some clean clothes, you stepped back into the office where Jack had already reorganized his desk as if nothing had happened previously.

“Took your sweet time didn’t yah?”

You didn’t answer, a sliver of pain spiked through your blood in disapproval that you had made him wait.

“Come here.”

Your legs were already moving before you fully registered his words, briskly closing the distance as your blood sang louder the closer you got. He extended his arm out as you quickly took the invitation to crawl into his lap, your head laying against his broad shoulder as you dangled your legs over the armrest. Your body fully relaxed while your mind was still on high alert as he wrapped you into his strong embrace, the warmth of his body soothing the drug’s relentless hunger.

“How do you feel? You can tell me.”

“I feel…” _Overwhelmed. Troubled. Scared._ “Strange.”

“I’m sure you just need to get used to it. This was a big step for you pumpkin but necessary so you can continue to fulfill your purpose to me, you understand?”

“Yes Jack.”

“I knew you would. I’ve got some big plans for us sweetheart. Oh I can’t wait.”

Your blood hummed in his praise, coaxing you to feel the same way but something in the back of your mind sneered.

“I already got my men moving operations to the Vault. Soon we'll be on Pandora wiping out all those disgusting bandits off my planet.”

Your eyebrows knitted in confusion, “I will be there?”

“Of course kitten. Why wouldn’t you?”

“You said before I wouldn’t.”

“That was when you weren’t yourself [Y/N]. Without my guidance you were slowly beginning to turn back into a savage bandit and we couldn’t have that happen right? You were nearly taken away from me but you're safe now. Back where you belong.” Jack placed a light kiss on your forehead, the spot instantly warming to his touch. “You have always been so good to me. I’ll make sure to give you everything you need to be perfect.”

The dark tone to his words should have made you concerned and for a moment you thought you did but it was instantly gone just like the rest of your worrisome thoughts. For several minutes, Jack let you stay in the comfort of his hold as you savoured how easy it was for him to calm the excruciating restless state the drug had you in. A faint beep could be heard just over your shoulder that your mind quickly dismissed as unimportant though the longer it went on you could feel Jack become more agitated by it. Leaning forward with you still in his lap, he angrily smashed his fist down onto the intercom button.

“WHAT? What part of I don’t want to be disturbed did you not understand?”

_“Sir we just received a distress signal from Opportunity. Initial reports say a group of Vault Hunters has made their way past the security perimeter.”_

“Oh for the love of- Can I just have five minutes. FIVE MINUTES where those Vault Hunters aren't getting their grubby hands all over my stuff.” A heavy sigh left his lips, his grip on your waist tightened as his other hand moved to message his temple just under one of the clasps of his mask. “Get a task force together and -”

His pause made you curious as you look up at him, the purple tint of your eyes highlighting the sharp angles of his mask as his lips slowly curled into his signature smirk.

“You know what, I think it is time we finally put an end to their little adventure. Meg, get a secure connection to the fast travel station down there.”

_“Yes sir.”_

The brief sound of static signaled that the call had ended as Jack’s hand cupped the side of your face, slowly trailing down as he held your chin between his firm fingers.

“Are you ready to put your talent to use for me?”

“What do you want me to do?”

“I want you to kill them all ghost. Make them suffer for ever thinking they could defy Handsome god-damn Jack.”

\--

It was quiet when you arrived at the gates of Opportunity, no signs of a struggle or the sound of an alarm though the smell of blood still hovered in the still air. With the midday light cascading overhead, you cautiously made your way through with your pistol in hand to find the city completely empty. A few spots you had managed to find traces of recently spilt blood but there were never any bodies with them. It was unnerving as you couldn’t recall Vault Hunters being so meticulous in their slaughters, usually only blazing their way through with caring about the mess they left behind.

Coming to a stop in the central square, you made another pass as your surroundings. The light breeze on your exposed skin nipped lightly as the faint sound of birds crying in the distant was the only sound worth noting. Something was off though you couldn’t quite put your finger on it as you took out your ECHO Unit to call Jack for assistance when the crack of a sniper rang behind you. Taking a quick side step, you turned just in time to dodge the bullet aimed at your chest but in doing so the device you held in your hands took the impact instead. The bullet sank its way through the metal as the top half shattered and scattered its remains on the floor below. Unfazed you let go of the other half as you turned towards the bullet's origin, a set of scaffolding that still littered the side of one of the nearby towers.

Scanning over the structure, you waited patiently for the second shot though it never came. It puzzled you for a moment but your conclusion was that your ECHO was the intended target, the shooter knowing that you would dodge the shot. Your lips curled downwards in annoyance as you were about to begin making your way towards the building when the sound of heavy breathing and thick boots echoed behind you. Unamused that your aggressors kept thinking they could sneak up from behind, you turned to set your gaze on the hulking psycho you had the displeasure of meeting once before. The single eye that was exposed through his mask narrowed on you as he gave off a throaty growl. A smirk befell your lips at the opportunity to duel once more, a small bit of revenge from his actions that cause your so much indirect suffering. As he brandished his buzz axe by thumping it against his open palm, you inclined to his gesture as you holster your pistol, pulling out two gleaming purple daggers. Twirling them a few times in your hands you watched silently for a moment, sizing each other up as he let out an obnoxious roar before charging headlong towards you.

“SPIN-AXE IS ALWAYS THIRSTY FOR THE MEAT JUICE.”

His movements were easy to read as you effortlessly maneuvered around him. His axe attempted to grind into your daggers when they parried, sending shimmering sparks in different directions from their contact. For a lumbering slab of meat he was surprisingly agile as your blades only grazed his skin with each clash, causing small cuts in his exposed flesh. It was clear that you were much stronger than your first encounter as you held your ground for several rounds until you swiftly dodged his next heavy swing making his bare neck vulnerable as you were about to bring your dagger down upon it. The sound of another discharge from the sniper force you to cease your deadly strike and step backwards to create some distance between you and the psycho before the bullet impacted where you once stood. A displeased hiss escaped through your gritted teeth as the bandit regained his footing with a maniacal cackle.

“I TASTE BLOOD... MINE AND YOURS!!”

“I don’t know how many screws you got loose in that thick skull of yours but you are the only one bleeding here. Only reason you're still breathing is because of your interfering friend.”

“FRIENDS TO STOP THE KNIFE IN MY SPINE.”

“Two on one seems a little unfair but then again you bandits never really were ones to follow the rules. You only delaying your inevitable death.”

“NOBODY KILLS ME BUT ME! I WILL BE THE ONE TO MAKE YOU SCREAM.”

“I’d like to see you try.”

Another clash of metal sung out into the empty city as once again pinned yourself against the raw strength of the bandit. Your blood vibrated in anticipation to see this psycho laying in a crimson pool at your feet as you watch him struggle to breath until his life fades from his exposed eye. Each time you contort his wild attacks to leave him in a vulnerable position and land a critical blow, the sharp blast of a gun hits your ears as you dodge the next sniper shot. The growing frustration at being denied your kill grew as it continuously allowed the psycho the time to recover until it fully consumed you with hatred when you were about to embed your knife deep in his arm but instead had to twist the blade to deflect the incoming bullet. With a low growl, you discarded one of your daggers as you pulled out your pistol. Aiming up towards the sniper, you were ready to take the shot when you notice the buzz axe about to strike you. Turning your focus back on your closer assailant, you felt the blade faintly kiss your forearm when you pulled back. The pungent smell of blood mixed with earth permeated the air as the purple-tinted liquid slowly bled down your arm before the small wound began to heal itself back up.

“WHY DID YOUR BLOOD STOP SINGING ITS SWEET SONG.”

“You bandits got a lot to learn of what Jack is capable of.”

Attempting another shot only stirred the psycho on as his attacks became relentless, even as you inflicted more small wounds to his flesh he never let up. It was becoming clear that if you wished to take out one of the Vault Hunters without the other's interference you were not going to be able to accomplish that with just sheer force. Your mind shifted into overdrive as the outside world tuned out until it longer registered, your focus solely on the hulking bandit before you. His muscled chest heaved rapidly in exhaustion and bloodlust, his tanned skin painted red from the several small cuts that you inflicted, the grip on his buzz axe tightening as the leather bound on the handle crackled to the pressure. The feral grunt he gave as he once again swung towards you made you repulse by his vain attempt to hurt you. As you allowed the strike to inch closer to you, he must have thought he was about to rip into your skin when you swiftly discarded your remaining dagger. His eye widened as you gracefully move out of the of the blade's path, grabbed on to his extended arm and giving it a sickening twist. The screaming agony that left his lips was like music to your ears but you quickly dismissed it as your focus shifted away from the psycho, now set carefully on the tower as the sniper revealed themselves once more from their hidden position. As soon as you saw them your lips curled into a subtle smirk before bring up your pistol in line to fire before they could even react.

“Got yah.”

Tightening your index finger on the trigger causes an unforeseen burst of pain as you cried out, your blood scorching your arm as the world around you once again flooded your sense. The intensifying heat in your veins cried out for help as you looked to see your hand now suspended midair, engulfed in a bright blue orb of pure energy. Tears began to prick the sides of your eyes as you slowly felt the hand trapped inside starting to become numb, the growing alarm of what had create this orb quickly overruled all other thoughts as you began to furiously pull against your restraint. Only once you let go of the pistol were you were able to dislodge your hand after a few harsh pulls, stumbling backwards as you gripped onto your trembling limb. The searing pain began to subside as you looked down to notice how your hand didn't share the same purple color as the rest of your skin for a brief moment before your tinted-blood began to cycle back in and the numbing sensation fading away. The realization that you were now up against three Vault Hunters sent your mind into a frenzy knowing that even with your eridium imbued strength you wouldn’t be able to handle them all at once. Quickly surveying your surroundings, your gaze landed on an area filled with leftover construction equipment and shipping containers as you made a mad dash towards it. The sound of the psycho scramble to his feet echoed behind you as he let out another ear-piercing roar.

“YOU CAN’T ESCAPE THE MEAT MAN.”

Dismissing his unusual threat, you navigate your way through the twisting maze of haphazardly placed materials and debris. Vaulting over metal containers until you no longer heard the sounds of the Vault Hunters behind you. Taking a small break, you let your thunderous heartbeat slow as you took a few deep breaths and tried to come up with a plan.

How were you going to take out three Vault Hunters? You still had a few daggers on you but the only one who wished to engage in close combat with you was the psycho. Maybe if you could find some sort of guard post in the city you could get another gun but why weren’t there any people to help defend the area in the first place? If they Vault Hunters had killed them all why haven't they killed you yet?

The last question stuck out most in your mind, surely if they wanted they could have combined their attacks to overwhelm you but they didn’t. Only interrupting when you set your focus on one of them, seeming to toy with you. Whatever the answer was it wasn’t worth finding out, you would need to find a way to contact Jack to tell him about the situation though your blood hummed angrily at the thought of failing your task to kill them.

Opting to quietly make your way through the area, you ventured further away from the sniper’s tower. The metal shipping containers were becoming stacked higher and higher as you started to notice more pathways leading to dead-ends. After revealing another encased route you felt a rush of concern that these were methodically placed when you heard the sound of crashing metal from nearby. Sprinting back the way you came, you turned the corner to see one of the shipping containers now wedge in the middle of the pathway, blocking the entrance you just came from. Cursing your breath for not noticing the trap, you quickly searched for options on a way out when the sound of a digi-constructor emanated. Instantly two figures spawned just in front of you as you quickly pulled out a new set of daggers before your muscles froze in shock and confusion. Two perfect depictions of Handsome Jack materialized from the swirling blue light as they gazed at you with his signature smirk.

“Who needs a hero?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, thanks for taking the time to read. Please let me know of any errors or helpful criticism.  
> \--  
> I tried my best to kind of evoke different states of emotions the reader would be in from her current predicament and I can't tell if it feels really rushed or not with this chapter. Hopefully it worked out.


	19. Chapter 19

A pulse of panic rushed through your body as you stared wide eyed at the two perfect semi-transparent Jacks that stood before you. Each one grinning wickedly at you as they positioned themselves shoulder to shoulder, blocking the pathway in front of you. The dull blue light that emanate from their bodies reflected off the cold metal containers that surrounded you and for each step they took forward, you took one step back. Wary of their existence, the grip on your daggers faltered slightly as you maintain your distance until an incoherent roar forces your gaze upwards. The psycho Vault Hunter jumped down from the top of the metal containers as he landed with a thick _thud_ in the now vacant space behind the Jacks, both copies seemingly unfazed by the looming behemoth behind them. Your blood stir once more at the sight of him, the stale scent of his dried blood that painted his skin made you snarl in frustration. The fact that this bandit was still alive was more than enough to send your mind into a frenzy.

_“I want you to kill them all kitten.”_

Handsome Jack’s commanding words echoed in your mind, your blood heating once more as it drove you to action. Shifting your stance, you propelled yourself forward towards the psycho as he watched you with an intense glare. As you got closer, the two Jacks braced themselves which seemed old as you expected to just walk through their semi-transparent forms but when one of them grabbed your arm and spun you around, the other pushed you back in the opposite direction from which you just came. Quickly regaining your footing, you let out a small growl as you turned to see both Jacks smiling back. The one on the right side folded his arms in front as the one on the left wagged his index finger at your attempt.

“What kind of sick joke is this?”

“This isn’t a joke [Y/N],” the familiar voice behind you made your veins vibrate shamelessly to its master’s call.

A flesh version of Jack stood only a few yards away as you noted his yellow hoodie and brown leather jacket. A dull ache in your chest throbbed when your eyes met but it felt strange, like you had forgotten something important but how could you forget Jack. He was the one that sent you down here. He was the one that asked you to kill the Vault Hunters. Why was he here?

“Then why are you stopping me? This is what you wanted!” You couldn’t control the anger in your voice as your blood hummed loudly again; upset at not killing the Vault Hunter; upset at how Jack looked at you with such pity in his eyes.

Another stomp of heavy boots hitting the ground resounded where the psycho still stood as you turned to see the blue haired siren standing beside him.

“I’M READY FOR ANOTHER ROUND OF THE SLAUGHTER.”

“Easy there big guy, we've done enough fighting for now.” Her words seemed to soothe the hulking psycho as they stood vigilantly on the other side of the narrow passageway.

The intense heat under your skin cried out in alarm at how outnumbered you were in your current situation. Trapped in this makeshift corridor, there was no way for you to easily defend yourself and Jack at the same time but you knew it had to be done. Taking a wider stance, you snarled at your opponents as you pulled your daggers in front of you.

“Ghost!”

The harsh tone of Jack’s voice made your whole body snap to his attention, focusing solely on him as if nothing else existed. His mix-matched eyes gazed as you softly, making that dull ache fluttered once again in your chest. This unexpected feeling didn’t seem to wash away like the rest of your unnecessary emotions, it lingered even though your mind was still constantly feeding off all your senses for more of Jack. It was confusing but the more you felt it the more you suspected that it was important. Handsome Jack never made you feel like this but someone did; someone you cared for, someone that wasn’t Jack.

“You are not to hurt the Vault Hunters. That's an order.”

His voice was crystal clear as your sensitive ears heard them, the words registering their meaning as they contradicted the original orders that still echoed in your mind. It hurt, the mixed signals to kill or not kill the Vault Hunters made it feel like your blood was fighting against itself for what it should do. As you gazed at Jack for the answer, you could feel the twisting shift in priority to follow his newest command.

“Ok Jack. No- argh. You’re-”

“It’s ok [Y/N].”

The daggers you held drop to the floor as you cradled your skull from the sudden headache. A rush of old memories flowed through you as you recalled the Jack that made you smile from his sweet gestures. The Jack that kept you safe when you were struggling under the drug’s agonizing torments. The Jack that made you not alone anymore in this cruel corrupted world. He wasn’t Handsome Jack; his true name is Timothy.

“Not Jack. Not Jack. I know that. I can’t stop it.”

“Gods what has he done to you?”

“It's too much. It hurts. Please, what do you want me to do?” Your blood burned hungrily through your veins, crying out for some sort of relief from your built up frustrations and lack of gratification to the point where it was becoming unbearable. “Tell me. There has to be something. Anything. I’ll do anything for you Jack.”

Timothy's eyes widened in shock as he stood there unmoving, your body begged for him to give you anything to ease the agonizing pain the drug supplied.

“Ahh ummmm... can I get a hug?” He gave you a faint smile as he opened up his arms towards you.

The corner of your lips curled downwards as you started marching towards him at a swift pace, a small spark of fear captured his eyes from the serious demeanor that was written all over your face. As you got closer, he instinctually flinched expecting you to hit him but when your arms wrapped around his midsection his body relaxed as you leaned into his warmth. Burying your head into the crook of his neck, you let out a heavy sigh of relief as your blood cooled to a more satisfied state.

“I hate you so much. This is stupid.”

Tim’s chest rumbled as he softly chuckles and wraps his arms around you, “feeling better?”

“For the moment. My blood never stops wanting to follow Jack’s commands. Even now I can feel it still craving to kill the Vault Hunters.”

“Are you gonna be able to control yourself?”

“I think so. You seem to have made the desire tolerable for now.”

Timothy’s grip tightened as he pulled you in closer, placing a small kiss on your forehead. “I’m so glad you're here [Y/N].”

You blood hummed at the contact but you could feel the difference from when Timothy gave you affection and when Handsome Jack did. For one the small voice in the back of your mind didn’t sneer at the action like it did back on Helios, it appeared content as it purred happily to Tim's presence. The second being the endless hunger in your blood seemed to die down a little after completing your newest order from 'Jack' but the itch returned much sooner as it begged for more. It was clear that Handsome Jack was the more dominating source for relief out of the two of them but with him not here and it instead being Timothy, the discomfort from failing to kill the Vault Hunters seemed endurable.

Pulling back enough to be able to look up at him without breaking contact, your purple-tinted eyes scanned over his flawless features as he gazed at you fondly. “Tim, can you please explain what the hell is going on?”

“Oh ah- well this is Maya and Krieg. They are Vault Hunters.”

Turning towards the other end of the corridor, Maya gave you a small wave as Krieg only grunted in response.

“I got that. What the hell are those?” You pointed to the two figures that still stood between you and the Vault Hunters.

“What? The Digi-Jacks?” Timothy’s voice seemed confused as both Digi-Jacks simultaneously gave you a wink.

“Yes. Since when could you digistruct clones of Jack?”

“Umm, ever since I started working for him.“

“How come I've never seen them before?”

“I don't like using them unless I absolutely have to. I wasn’t sure how much you would be... aware of your actions if I need to stop you.”

The dark meaning to his words made you grimace, "I’m fully aware of everything Jack commands me to do even though I can’t stop myself. He made sure of that.”

It was quiet as the cool waterfront breeze graced against your exposed skin, Tim’s heartbeat thumped loudly against his chest as you felt the vibrations. For a moment you thought he would ask you to elaborate on what exactly Jack had done but he didn’t, seeming worried to know the full extent of the truth though you were not sure you wanted to even burden him with your current plight.

“Tim, what are you planning? If Jack finds out you're working with the Vault Hunters he will kill you.”

“I needed their help to get you off Helios. Whenever I talked to Jack about coming back he always assigned me to another mission. It was obvious he wasn’t gonna let me any time soon and I knew the longer you were there the more dangerous it would be.” He shifted away from your hold as your blood cried from the lack of his touch but was quickly corrected when he took your hand and laced his fingers with yours. “So in exchange I said we would help them out on a few missions on Helios. Once that's done we can leave and-”

“I can’t leave Timothy. Not after what Jack has done to me. Even now I can feel the urge to go crawling back to him. The real Jack.”

“There has to be something that will stop it. We can just wait out the effects again, right?”

You shook your head in response, “the eridium is fused to my blood. It's a part of me now. I can’t even think straight anymore, it’s like a dense fog I can’t get out of.”

The mere thought of Handsome Jack made the desire to get back to Helios pulse through your body. The acceptance that you were not going to be able to complete your task to kill the Vault Hunters only intensified your need to return.

“Maybe I can help,” Maya stepped forward though the Digi-Jacks still stayed between you. “I was able to syphon a small amount of eridium from you. With how you reacted to my siren powers maybe I can help lessen the effects.”

A noticeable scoff sounded above you as everyone turned their gaze upwards at the man now perched at the edge of one the metal containers.

“You're still considering helping them after all the things she has done? I would have never agreed to this if I knew it was her.” His voice seethed with hatred though you couldn't see his eyes through the dark goggles he wore.

“Mordecai what are you-" the siren tried to speak but he quickly interpreted her.

“She is the one that took Bloodwing.”

All eyes fell on you as you stared uncaring back at the sniper, you recognized him as the bandit that got away from you so long ago at the Varkid Ranch Observatory. The bird you had captured instead must have been this ‘Bloodwing’ he was referring to.

He growled at your unsympathetic gaze, “do you even know what Jack did with her?”

“She doesn’t.” Tim spoke before you could answer, his icy tone sent a small chilled down your spine. “I know [Y/N] causes some serious grievances against you guys under Jack’s control but so have I. We don’t get a choice in our actions when it comes to him.”

“You always have a choice!”

The anger in his voice made you chuckle, “a choice to die. Not really much of a choice if you ask me.*

"It's better than working for Jack," Mordecai remarked.

"I am not going to take the easy way out just because Jack uses me. Not when I still have things I care about.”

“Even if it makes others suffer?”

“I was trying to protect my sister.”

“And look how well that turned out for you.”

The flash of anger, sorrow and grief that hit you all at once was overpowering, your muscles tensing under his gaze as you gritted your teeth in retaliation. How dare he criticize your limited choices in life to protect Jenna. She had always been everything, you would have done anything to keep her safe. You only did what you thought would ensure her safety but you had no idea the horrors Jack was capable of. The raw outrage of what Jack made you do to her still ached in your chest but the everlasting hatred you had for bandits like him consumed you first.

"THEIR BLOOD IS YOWLING MADNESS AT THE MIDDAY MOON."

The psycho barked at your heated exchange as the siren beside him also chimed in.

“Krieg is right. We'll never get anywhere if we don’t work together to save Lilith and stop Jack from getting a hold of the Warrior. We already journeyed this far with Timothy so if he says [Y/N] is ok to work with I trust him.”

“MORE BODIES TO JOIN THE HELMSMAN’S PARADE.”

“Fine. Whatever but count me out for working beside her. Just make sure she doesn’t hurt anyone else.” The sniper scowled as he promptly stood up and retreated out of your view.

With the savage anger still devouring you, your blood begged you to go after him. To kill him with your bare hands for his insults, to make Jack happy by killing off one of his sworn enemies. Struggling to keep the drug's desires at bay, your focus waned as you used the last of your will power to turn towards Timothy.

“Ngh- Jack?” The endless hunger grew once more as the world shifted back to Jack’s DNA. You wanted to please him, you needed to make him happy, it was all you could think about.

Tim pulled you flush to his chest as the warmth from his body enveloped you. His breath brushed lightly against your skin as his lips edged closer to your ear. “It’s ok [Y/N]. You can be a good girl and let Maya help you right?”

The Jack-like tone made your body shiver in delight though you could feel yourself grimacing at having to make Timothy play the role of Jack just to keep you in check.

A shaky breath left your lips as the drug coaxed you to follow his command. “Yes.”

The dull blue light the Digi-Jacks produced reflected off the corridor’s walls as you noticed they now flanked you on either side, not making a single noise during their sudden change of position. Timothy’s hands landed on your hips as he helped you to slowly turn around towards the siren. Maya cautiously stepped towards you as your blood hummed in alarm, a spike of pain radiated through your body at the mixed desires to let her help you and to end her life clashed in your mind. As your muscles twitched from the strain, both Digi-Jacks held an arm out in front of you in case you suddenly lost control of yourself. When she stood before you, her pale eyes gazed at you remorsefully which only made you more irritated that another bandit was daring to look down upon you.

“This is probably gonna hurt.” Her hand was engulfed in the familiar blue energy as she then placed it on the center of your chest.

The air in your lungs escaped in a harsh exhale as your chest burned instantly from her touch. Your blood thumped thunderously in your ears as it cried out in agony from whatever the siren was doing to you. It was like every cell in your body was being torn apart one by one and with each sharp beat of your heart the pain only intensified. The sheer heat emanating in your veins scorched every inch of your body as your mind quickly lost all focus, consumed by the unbearable pain that was running rampant. You wanted to beg for it to stop, praying for someone to save you but as the world around you started to grow darker, no words left your lips.

The abrupt darkness was deafening.

“[Y/N]-”

The cold numbing sensation in your chest lifted as a familiar heat took its place.

“Are you- [Y/N]-- wake up. Can you hear me?”

Opening your eyes, you couldn’t remember when you had closed them as you gazed up at the voice that beckoned you. “T-tim?”

“That’s right. I’m here. It's ok.”

Timothy cradled you in his arms as you both sat on the icy cold floor. Every fiber of your being ached from the intrusion of the siren's powers as you focused to still see the purple hue that encased your vision. Lifting a trembling hand up, you looked at the tint blood that still coursed through your veins though you noted that it seemed less vibrant than before.

“I don't want to risk taking any more. There’s something not right when I feel the energy flowing out of you. Like I'm taking part of your soul or something,” Maya spoke softly as she was knelt down beside you.

Taking a part of you was a pretty accurate description of how you currently felt, the eridium was now fused to your blood and for her to syphon even a small amount from you felt like someone was endlessly carving out chucks of your very existence.

A small groan left your lips as you take a sharp inhale, “It's fine.”

“[Y/N]-” Tim’s grip tightened, refusing to let you move as you tried to sit up.

“I said it's fine Tim. At least it seems I can control my focus enough now to know what I want now instead of only what the drug wants. It's something at least.”

Attempting to get up again, Timothy did not stop you as you stood on shaky legs while he helped you regain your balance.

“You think you're gonna be able to resist Jack when you see him again?” Maya asked you with concern, not knowing how much her powers had lessened the drug's effects.

“There's only one way to find out.”

“Oh no no no.” Tim piped up at your brash answer, “I don’t like the sound of that. It's safer if you stay here.”

“Tim, I already told you once that I’m not gonna hide from Jack. If you're planning to stop the bastard I want to help.”

“Can’t you see that I want to protect you [Y/N]? I don’t want him to hurt you any more than he already has.” Tim trembled as him bit down on his lower lip, his gaze was set on the floor as you gently took his chin to shifted it towards you. The anger and sorrow behind his eyes made your heart flutter painfully at the sight but you made sure to give him a reassuring smile as he let out a heavy sigh. “Why do you have to be so stubborn?”

“Because that’s just who I am. I’ve been told several times I suck at following simple instructions.”

“For once Jack and I agree on something.”

You let out a small chuckle as you pull him closer to you till your lips connect. His kiss was always soft and sweet, reminding you that no matter what you had been through, there was still a spark buried somewhere deep inside you. A desire to be more than the Ghost you had become, the want to keep Timothy safe, the need to destroy Jack in order to regain both your freedoms. Timothy ran a hand through your hair as he deepened the kiss, holding you passionately until you both broke apart gasping for air. With heavy eyes, you gazed at one another in silence as he placed his forehead on yours.

“You are not allowed to leave my side. Not even a little. Understood?”

“Wouldn’t dream of it handsome.”

Tim’s heart gave out a large _thump_ as you felt it through his layers of clothing, the tips of his ears glowed with a slight shade of crimson when he turned his face away to clear his throat. “Alright well, uuuhh- the Vault Hunters want to get onto Helios. Jack gave you access to the fast travel station right?”

“Yes.”

“Ok. So here’s the plan. We round up all the Vault Hunters and help get them on Helios. From there we can get to Lilith through the maintenance shafts and-”

“I don’t think she's there anymore.”

“What?” Tim gave you a quizzical look.

“Jack mentioned to me that he moved everything to the Vault. As well, the station hasn’t received any more eridium shipments in the past few days. Pretty sure it has been rerouted somewhere else based on how many calls Jack keeps getting about it.”

“Shit. We need to know where he is shipping the eridium then.”

“Krieg and I can group up with the other Vault Hunters and find out. Got any idea where we could search?” Maya’s voice startled you as you turned to see her still standing there, you were so focused on Timothy that you had completely dismissed her entire existence.

“The Arid Nexus. There is a Hyperion Info Stockade out there that should hold the answer.”

“We’re on it,” she gave you both a cheeky smirk as she pulled out an older looking ECHO Unit and walked back towards Krieg who hadn’t moved from his original spot.

Finally alone with Tim you let out a small sigh of relief, your blood humming peacefully at his presence though the burning soreness still lingered.

“I’m sorry,” Tim’s voice broke the silence as you looked up to him. “I should have never let this happen. Never have let it get this bad. Maybe if I have gotten help faster I could have-”

You placed a single finger on his lips to stop him before he could ramble on, “shouldn’t I be the one to say sorry? I didn’t listen to you when you tried to warn me. I was the one that didn’t leave before it was too late. I was too focused on protecting Jenna but she’s-”

“I already know.”

Another sigh escaped your lips, “of course you knew.”

“I swear [Y/N], I only found out right before I left for Pandora. I wanted to tell you when I saw you but I couldn't bring myself to do so. I didn’t mean for you to find out the way you did.” Tim’s voice didn’t hide the sudden panic and shame in its tone though he was trying his best to remain calm.

“You were the one that hacked my ECHO Unit?”

“Well not me, one of the other Vault Hunters. Smart little lady she is but that's besides the point. I had to convince you to help and it was the only way I could think of that would get you to agree.”

“You could have just told me it was you.”

“You wouldn’t have believed that for a second. Besides, you needed to know. I just- I just didn’t think this would happen because of it.”

“This didn’t happen because of you.”

“How can you say that?” Tears threaten to spill at the sides of Tim’s soulful eyes as he struggled to come to terms with everything that had happened to you.

A lump formed in the back of your throat at the heartbreaking sight, making you swallow harshly as your body and mind cried out for you to comfort him. “Timothy. It was my choice to go back to Jack. I never ever want you to think that you had anything to do with the pain he has inflicted on me. You are the best thing that ever happened to me outside of Jenna. The only one that ever truly cared about me and you did everything you could to protect me. Jack was just always one step ahead is all.”

His lips parted as he thought about arguing but instead he pulled you closer as he placed his head down on your shoulder. His arms wrapped around your midsection tightly, keeping you close as you both embraced each other wordlessly in the empty city.

\--

Maya had finished contacting the remaining Vault Hunters to regroup in the Arid Nexus as you and Timothy escorted them to the main gain of Opportunity. As you walked behind them, you could hear Maya talking to Timothy about the newest plan to get to Lilith but you failed to register the words as your focus was set on your purple-tinted veins. Your mind was still being filled with different information from your various senses though you found some voices no longer were drowned out by the constant feed. Sadness, grief, resentment, outrage, wants, desires; They are all mixed together into a hideous nightmare that seemed inescapable. This living torment you would now have to spend the rest of your days in was tortuous enough but you took solace in the fact that you were not alone again.

“You ok?” Timothy stopped in front of you as he looked at you with concern.

“I’m a god-damn monster, aren't I?”

“[Y/N] your not-”

“Tell me the truth Timothy. This- this isn’t normal. I’m not normal. Gods why didn’t I stop Jack when I had the chance.” The sheer disgust you felt at your current inhuman state made you overwrought with guilt.

“This isn’t your fault.”

“Of course it's my fault. I let this happen. I killed Jenna. One of the few things in this god-forsaken universe I wanted to protect and I took her life away like it meant nothing. How can you even stand to look at me after he turned me into this... thing.”

You failed to control the anger in your voice as you shouted out into the open courtyard, your blood heating up once again from your never ending frustrations. The Vault Hunters stopped as they witnessed your plight, Krieg letting out a menacing growl as he suddenly started marching back toward you.

“LOOK AT ME WHEN I’M SCREAMING AT YOUR SOUL!”

Stunned, you and Timothy looked at the psycho warily as he stood awkwardly close to the both of you.

“THERE IS NO ME, THERE IS NO YOU! THERE IS ONLY THE NEVER ENDING SPIT AND BILE OF COMBAT! THE TWENTY-FOUR HOUR MURDER SPREE OF SHINING METAL! WE DRINK THE BLOOD AND EAT THE LOOT AND BREATHE THE NUMBERS, BECAUSE YOU AND I ARE MONSTERS! NOW AND FOREVER!”

The single eye that was exposed through his mask burrowed into you, was he trying to cheer you up?

“STABBED A THOUSAND TIMES WITH JAGGED KNIVES BUT WE LOOK INTO THE HEART OF DARKNESS AND FEAST UNTIL THE END.”

As your mind tried to ponder his words, you couldn’t help but feel a small glint of hope rise in you. His semi-coherent phrasing telling you to never give up no matter what fate had in store for you. That you needed to fight on until your heart stops beating and you had drawn your last breath.

A bizarre wave of emotions washed over you as your anger subsided, leaving you eerily calm. “Huh. Thanks Krieg.”

The psycho let out a satisfactory huff as he swiftly left your personal space and regrouped with Maya, keeping her in close proximity the same way that Timothy was doing to you. Saying your goodbyes, they left out the main gate back into the wilderness of Pandora as you and Tim watched silently. When their technical had long disappeared into the distance, you contemplated your next course of action until Timothy finally interrupted your thoughts.

“[Y/N]?”

“I need to get back to Jack.”

“No. Absolutely not. Nope, that’s not happening.” Timothy frantically waved off your option as he gave you a stern look.

“He’s still on Helios. If we want to help the Vault Hunters and give them enough time to find Lilith we need to act now. And there is something else I need to do.”

“What?”

You hesitated for a moment, wondering if Tim would already know what you were about to say but with him being on Pandora since you were reintroduced to the drug you figured he probably didn’t. “When Jack did… this to me, he told me that my blood was the key to creating more soldiers that would follow his every command. I can’t let that happen. I won’t let that happen. I need to destroy everything related to the project to ensure no one else becomes controlled by Jack like this.”

Timothy looked a little surprised for a second but quickly cursed under his breath as he wouldn’t put it past Jack for funding such a scheme. You could see him furiously searching for a different plan but when he let out a heavy breath, his features only expressed his growing bitterness.

“You don’t need to come with me if you want.”

“Don’t you dare say another word. I’m not leaving you again,” he growled in response.

The warmth in your chest amplified at his words causing your heart to skip a beat, pulling him flush to your body you couldn't help but feel like apart of you that had been missing all this time had finally returned. “Will we keep each other safe right?”

“Of course. I’ll always be with you [Y/N]. Jack won't keep us apart any longer.”

Another pulse of satisfaction rippled through your body, the infinite hunger hummed quietly as engorged on his constant praise and touches. You mind finally at peace knowing that Timothy would never lie to you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, thanks for taking the time to read. Please let me know of any errors or helpful criticism.  
> \--  
> Not gonna talk about how many different versions of this chapter I wrote. There is a lot dialog and characters involved so if there are any confusing parts please let me know.


	20. Chapter 20

Whatever small semblance of tranquility you had managed to perceive from Maya’s ability to extract eridium from your blood flicked in and out of existence. On one hand you could feel the drugs' unquenchable heat being sated easier from Timothy, the presence of Jack’s DNA in him providing the necessary relief you craved. While on the other hand the drug continuously overtook your senses, sending sharp flares of pain that would force you to bend to its will. It was exhausting being in this state, constantly pulled back and forth from being able to fully constraint on a singular thought.

“Everything ok?” Timothy was still holding you close, never once breaking contact from your body.

“I’m fine.”

“[Y/N], I can tell that’s not the truth. You can talk to me, you know.“

“I know but it's really ok.”

“You don’t need to deal with this on your own.”

“I get that but-”

“Come on [Y/N] I want you be-”

“Tim! Please...” the sudden flash of anger made you curse under your breath. You didn’t mean to snap at him but you were already beyond frustrated with everything going. For Timothy to be constantly questioning how you were feeling was only making matters worse. This perpetual state you were in wasn’t fine, nothing was ever fine but you had accepted that a long time ago.

The slight breeze that rustled through the city landscape amplified the sudden silence between you, something you instantly regretted. It made you feel ashamed of your actions, that you had once again lashed out at someone who was only trying to help. In your heart you could feel the need to apologize, to mend the hurt you had caused but when you went to speak you couldn’t find the words. Torn once more on how to react, you gripped Tim’s sweater harshly as you pulled yourself closer to him. To feel the rhythmic heartbeat under his skin, the steady rise and fall of his chest as he took in air, any sensation you could get to help calm your restless self.

“Are you sure you want to go back to Helios?” Timothy's soothing voice was no louder than a whisper as he felt your muscles fluctuate between being relaxed in his embrace to tensing up in distress. Loosening your hold, you let out a heavy sigh as he shifts slightly to your reaction. “I mean, I’m not trying to stop you or anything but I’m just… worried.”

“Tim.”

“I can’t help it ok? This is- ”

“Dangerous?”

“Yah.”

You wanted to chuckle at the understatement of your current situation but all that left your lips was a soft huff. Never in all six galaxies would you have imagined yourself being trapped like this, your misguided dreams of reuniting with Jenna and escaping this nightmarish world all but seemed like a childish wish now. The fact that she was gone and that you had dragged Timothy into your accursed fate haunted your fleeting thoughts constantly. As if he could sense your plagued mind, Tim rubbed small circles into your back as he spoke.

“I just- I’ve never really worked _against_ Jack before. Too scared really since if I think my life sucks now he can definitely make it a hell of a lot worse. Even for me to agree to help the Vault Hunters I need a lot of reassurance that Jack wouldn’t find out or that they could even help you at all. I don’t think I can actually fight him in person.” Even though his body tried to convey some sort of calmness, you couldn’t help but note the tantalizing fear in his voice.

“As much as I want to stop him, I don’t think I could either. With the way he has control over us it's more than likely he will be able to stop us before any blood is even split.”

Timothy’s shoulders slouched slightly, knowing that was most likely the truth. His head hung low as you pulled back enough to place a hand on his cheek, turning him toward you so that you could gaze into his soulful mix-matched eyes.

“We just need to slow him down. Lets deal with one thing at a time and go from there ok? No use in worrying about what could happen.”

Tim look at with a doubtful expression before taking a deep breath and nodding. “Yah... Yah ok.”

A small smile crossed your lips from his answer as you looked around at the still vacant city. You were trying to focus enough on creating a solid plan but your surrounding senses kept bringing up a persistent question. “Timothy, what happened to all the people here?”

“Oh shoot, I totally forgot about them. I may have ordered all the workers to get into one of the underground bunkers without saying why. I guess I should let them out.” Timothy finally released you from his hold, your blood already beginning to agonize you at the loss of his contact. “It won’t take long so ah- just wait here k?”

Taking a steady breath to calm the growing hunger in your veins, you gave him a firm nod. Timothy smiled gently as he placed a small kiss on your forehead, your skin instantly warming from his simple touch. As he swiftly entered one of the adjacent buildings, you turn your gaze upwards to the sky. Helios floated silently just outside the planet's orbit with the halo of Elpis behind it. It wasn’t long ago you considered it your home, a symbol that you had at long last found a place you belonged to but now it served only as a constant reminder of Jack's influence over you.

Thinking of Jack once again stirred the drug to an excruciating temperature as it hummed for relief, crying out for you to return to the real Handsome Jack while the small voice in the back of your mind begin to panic. Returning to Helios put you in considerable danger of being directly under Jack’s control again. It was clear you were not free from his power over you and that it would be difficult to resist his commands in person. The best plan you could come up with was to avoid Jack all together and cause some sort of situation that he would have to personally address in order to give the Vault Hunters more time to find Lilith. Of course there were several flaws in you vague plan, Jack had eyes and ears all over the station but you figured that you had more than enough experience from your time on Helios to at least avoid the majority of them. The increasing amounts of possible obstacles and outcomes raced through your mind as you tried to calm your growing nerves. Jack was an unpredictable enigma, someone who time and time again caught you off guard with what he was capable of. To defy him was like standing at the receiving end of a loaded gun so your only hope of escaping him now rested with the Vault Hunters fulfilling their promise to bring Jack’s reign to an end.

“So do you have a plan for when we get there?” Timothy’s voice pulled you from your troublesome thoughts.

“Not really.”

“That doesn’t sound very reassuring.”

Turning towards him, Tim stood with his arms folded across his chest. His brow furrowed as he gazed lazily at the floor, lost in his own thoughts.

“Like I said, one thing at a time.” You tried to push away your growing fears, knowing that bringing them to Tim’s attention would only make the poor man more unease. “First we need to get to the lab currently working on the super soldier project and destroy it.”

“But how? That has to be one of the most secure labs in all of Helios.”

“I think with the two of us we can find a way," you shrugged as you started making your way towards the nearest fast travel station. The sound of Timothy exhaling a deep groan could be heard behind you, making you stop to take a quick glace over your shoulder when you approached the machine. “Ready?”

“Yah nope. Totally not gonna regret this later for not talking you out of this.” The sarcastic tone of his voice actually made you chuckle softly as he enclosed himself behind you.

Entering your clearance code into the machine, you and Timothy simultaneously felt a light tingling sensation as you were digistructed away from Opportunity.

\--

Reconstructing in the arrival bay of Helios, you found yourself in an isolated room. It wasn’t common for individuals to be allowed access to the networks that connected outside of the station so there was a reserved area within Helios for those who were privileged enough to use it. The room was fairy empty in terms of furniture though several different propaganda displays of Hyperion decorated the walls. The forcefield that currently blocked the lone entrance to Helios promptly deactivated as the attending guard came into view. Timothy instantly shuffled behind you as he reached for his hood only to be stopped when you caught his arm.

“It's probably easier if you leave it down,” you whispered.

“What? This is a bad idea-” Timothy growled lowly as the guard approached the doorway.

“Welcome back to Helios ma'am, who is-” the guard stuttered as Timothy stepped out into view.

“Sup?” his disapproving eyes glared at you for a moment before landing on the guard.

“H-handsome Jack sir. My apologies, there was no indication that you had left the station with her.”

“Yah well you try running a trillion dollar company while simultaneously saving a whole planet. Sometimes you need to get your hands dirty.” Tim began to strut forward towards the exit, much to the manner that Jack would when he was annoyed.

Following his lead you remained silent as you took your place behind him, displaying a normal behavior when you were within Jack’s presence. As you crossed the room Tim came to a halt as you peered over to see the guard had not moved out of his path.

“Do I really want to know what slack jawed excuse you have for blocking the entrance cupcake?”

“I’m sorry sir, It's just that… your clothes-”

“What about my clothes? Shocked that I owe something other than my signature getup? News flash kid, I do.” Tim adjusted his leather jacket as a obvious display of his handsomeness. After which he quickly reached back to pull you flush to his side, keeping his arm wrapped tightly around your waist. “Now if you're done admiring my impeccable fashion sense, this sweet thing and I have places to be.”

“Yes sir.” The guard gave a small salute as he hastily moved aside, allowing Timothy to dragged you through the exit into the main hub of Helios.

With enough distance from the arrival bay, Tim finally let go of his iron grip as you found a secluded area. “Ugh I disgust myself.”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to make you upset Timothy. I figured they were going to press for your identity anyways so it would be easier to be Jack instead.”

“No, you're right. I just rather avoid being him if we can.”

“Got it, we can stick to the more isolated routes then. I think I have a good idea of where to start looking for the lab.”

From your time spent on the station, you had become fairly familiar with the maze like layouts of Helios. Enough to where you easily lead Timothy into one of the many remote maintenance ways undetected as you headed to your destination. It was easy enough to avoid any of the sparse individuals you came across though at one point Tim had tipped over a loose pipe which alerted a nearby janitor. Pulling him into one of the darkened corners, you hid in the shadows as you closed your eyes to block any indication of your presence. Without sight, you heard the employee scout around the area for anything suspicious only to mumble something about filthy ratches before leaving immediately after. Opening your eyes to glare at Timothy, he gave you a sheepish shrug as an apology.

Traveling across the station without fast traveling was a journey in and of itself but you finally had arrived at your desired location, the enclosed chamber where you had detonated a explosive the Vault Hunters gave you was still completely destroyed. Seemingly abandoned as the large metal vat that once stood in the center of the room was now only a twisted pile of metal and the surrounding supply crates and metal containers were strew aimlessly around in the rumble. Through the ceiling a massive hole breached into the floor above, allowed access to the next area though you could not make out what was on the other side from your current position.

“Only way to go now is up,” you gestured to Timothy as you began shifting your way through the debris.

Once you were standing on top of the highest point of the rumble, you could barely peer into the dimly lit lab above as you noted the lip of the floor's crude entrance was just out of reach. As you quickly began surveying your surroundings for something to give you a bit more height, Tim placed a hand on your shoulder.

“I got an idea,” he swiped a hand over the watch on his wrist as one of the Digi-Jacks appeared beside you. “Give us a boost would yah handsome?”

The semi-transparent Jack gave a swift nod as he bent his knees slightly and lowered his hands. Timothy stepped forward first as he used the Digi-Jack to be launched into the air with an absurd amount of strength. As he soared into the darkness above, the force from the action made the rickety structure shake as you momentarily lost your balance. Solid hands landed on your hips as you looked to see illuminated Jack holding you steady, giving you a sly wink as he let go and got back into position. Thanking him for his assistance, you placed a foot in his cradling hands as he pushed you upwards with force.

Landing gracefully on the floor above, you found yourself inside the lab Jack had once introduced you to Lilith in. The large glass containers that were once filled with liquid eridium now laid empty as the only light source came from the deserted consoles and equipment that littered the edges of the room. You spotted Timothy already in front of one of the larger consoles as he turned on the various displays around him. Within a few moments he had pulled up several reports and recorded data from the lab, the most prominent being the evacuation orders after the explosions had ripped into the facility. The reports mentioned another lab that was also was storing vast amounts of eridium as a suitable temporary location and when Tim brought up the corresponding blueprints you instantly recognized the layout.

“That's it. That’s where they are experimenting with the drug. Where they kept me.”

Tim hummed in acknowledgement, “it’s not too far from here based on the blueprints. How do you want to go about doing this? I don’t recommend going in guns blazing since that always seems to make things worse in my experience.”

“No, we will keep to the shadows. Slow sweep through the facility so we don’t raise any alarms.”

“Wouldn't that take too long? If you haven’t noticed, stealth is not my forte.”

Tim was right on that, being covert meant that you would have to pick each person off one by one without arousing suspicion and there was no telling how many personnel were in the lab. “Then what are you suggesting?”

“What if we-” Tim swallowed harshly in hesitation. “What if we override the airlock mechanism?”

You supposed that should work, Jack often used such mechanisms to vent out whole departments in the past. “Wouldn’t that raise some sort of alarm?”

“Not if we disable it first. You’d be surprised how easy it is to turn off any safety feature on Helios. Jack always saw them as a waste of money and only invested the bare minimum so that HR would get off his back.”

That didn’t surprise you, if anything it sounded exactly like something Jack would do. “So how do we do that?”

“Easiest way is to get into the main office of the lab. The primary console in there will have access to everything.” Tim extracted the map into his ECHO Unit before shutting down the console. “Think you can get us there unseen?”

“Maybe but only if you promise to keep an eye on your feet this time.”

He gave you a soft chuckle, “cross my heart.”

It wasn’t long until you were inside the newly indicated facility as you spotted a number of scientists and military guards occupying the area. With the lab being so sparsely lit you used it as an advantage to creeping through the shadows, avoiding any cameras or personnel as you approached the main office but even in the dim light you could see them. Caged subjects that sat behind thick glass as they were observed like trapped animals. It made you sick as one after another you could see that some were in agonizing pain, some unmoving as they were only a shell of their former self, some who were adorned with purple eyes that shone as brightly as yours. A deep sickening feeling filled your gut as you quietly made your way into the office, finding it empty as you and Tim swiftly made for the console past the minimal décor.

As Tim quickly got to work with bypassing the default security measures of the machine, you shifted through some of the stray paper work looking for anything of importance to destroy. After several minutes had passed, Timothy cursed under his breath when the door suddenly slid open and a lone scientist entered. Only once when the door closed behind them did the employee look up from the report they held in their hand to see you and Timothy both frozen at the other side of the room. The unbearable silence between both parties was laughable but as you were about to pull out a dagger Tim’s booming voice filled the void.

“Well if it isn’t my favorite employee...ahh-”

“Dr. Wisner sir.”

“Right right. Wisner. I’m sure you remember [Y/N]?”

“I am well acquainted with the subject Ghost.”

You growled discretely, recognizing the employee as the main scientist behind the experiments.

“Maybe I ask what brought you to my office sir?”

Tim pulled up the nearby office chair, taking a seat as he placed his boots up onto the console. “You see doc I had a few questions about the whole deal with princess over here but when I arrived at your office no one was here to greet me.” He haphazardly pointed a thumb in your direction, ”and I couldn’t be bothered to find you so I took the liberty of getting the answers myself.”

“Sir, with all due respect I did have all my findings outlined in the various reports I sent to your office. You didn’t need to trouble yourself by coming all the way down here.”

“Yah well I’m here now so why don’t you enlighten me on your most recent developments.”

The scientist let out a small sigh as he began recalling different details about the project, unamused that he was forced to give an unexpected presentation but knowing he couldn’t say no to Handsome Jack. The longer he droned on about the complex test and procedures you found it hard to register his words, as if something had triggered the eridium to go into overdrive as you once again lost full control. Stepping closer to Tim, you were filled with the sole instinct to focus on ‘Jack’ as you stood beside him unmoving.

After a few moments, Tim gave you a quizzical look as your blood vibrated hungerly at his attention. “You still with us kitten?”

“Yes Jack.”

“Oookay,“ there was a wary tone to his voice as he turned back to Dr. Wisner. “So doc, the gist of it all is that each serum needs to be uniquely created for each person to be compatible?”

‘For the moment, yes. But my current findings hold promising results based on the amount of original DNA from subject Ghost that we inject into our human trials.”

A moment of disgust and sickness struck you at the statement only to be quickly washed away from the increase information you were sensing.

“And how effective has that been?“ Tim stood up as he lifted a hand for you to stay while he slowly stepped towards the scientist.

“With the perfected eridium serum and ample DNA signatures it becomes a nearly identical match to that of subject Ghost. I am still working on refining the process before seeking your final approval.”

“I must say that's quite impressive. And you're the only one who knows about this huh?”

“Of course sir. I know this information is highly sensitive. Any sort of data or documentation can not be accessed by anyone else other than yourself or I.”

“Good to hear kiddo.“

Without hesitation, Timothy pulled out a hidden silenced pistol as he shot the scientist right between the eyes. The sight of him holding the smoking gun and the slowly trickle of crimson seeping out of the now still body made your own blood cool enough to where you could feel yourself regaining control. By the time you were able to keep your own focus, Tim was already standing beside you with a look of concern.

“Umm, I hate to ask but are you ok?”

“I don’t know. That was- I just ended up losing control again. I guess what he was saying was overwhelming to hear or maybe I was just not allowed to hear it at all.”

“What do you mean not allowed to hear?”

“Sometimes I can hear conversations but I don't actual understand the words. My mind removes them before I could even think it through.”

“That's… disturbing.”

“Tell me about it,” you sighed lightly as Timothy softly caressed the side of your cheek.

“Well at least that's one loose end out of the way. Let me finish disabling the alarms in here and we can clear out the rest.”

Timothy resumes his work on the console, quickly gaining access to the whole facility and removing any sort of safety measures or surveillance in place. Grabbing a hold of your hand, he pulled you away from the machine as he unleashed the rest of the pistol's ammo until the console was no longer functional. Without letting go, you were swiftly ushered out of room as Tim began making a bee line for the lab's exit. A few employees noticed you as they scurried out of the way of Handsome Jack, Timothy seemingly unbothered by anyone noticing you presence as he continued on. Only once you had stepped past the giant metal doors that barred entry to the facility did he finally let go of your hand. Quickly locking the doors from the outside, he entered a few more commands into the adjacent control panel. Beyond the thick door, several distant explosions could be heard as muffled screams emanated from the other side. Only for it to become eerily silent when a split second later the sound of rushing air was the only noise that hit your sensitive ears. You could feel heart rate accelerate from the sudden realization of what had just transpired. It was done, the nightmares held beyond this door were no more as it was now all vented out into the void of space where Jack could no longer reach it. The joy that thought brought you was only saddened by the few misfortunate souls you had to eject alongside the employees but at least now they were free from their torments.

“So what now?”

Turing towards Tim, you contemplated your options. “Well the only evidence of the project now should be those reports in Jack’s office but I don’t think it's a good idea to go there.”

“You’re telling me. There is no way we are getting in there without him knowing and with that relapse you had back there I’m not letting you to risk it. I think it’s high time we get off this station.”

“We still need to find a way to slow down Jack.”

“What if we did both?” You gave Timothy a questioning look as he flashed you a toothy smile. “Don’t worry. I got this.”

Tim brought you to a isolated part of Helios, one you were oddly familiar with since it was the reserved transport station for Handsome Jack. A small arsenal of different ships filled the hangar as you and Timothy made quick work with the minimal guards posted to keep watch of the area. Kicking over one of the bodies to pull out your dagger from his chest, Tim had already started working on yet another console as it continuously beeped angrily at him.

“Everyone ok there Tim?”

“Yep- ugh. Just… gimme a second.”

Turing your gaze away, you looked around at the cold metal that surrounded you, wondering if this could possibly be the last time you would be on Helios. After a few moments of musing over the thought, the machine made a happy little chime as Tim let out a content sigh.

“Alright got it, we have 15 minutes to get to a ship and get the hell out of here. After that all transporting stations will go into lockdown till Jack figures out how to fix it.”

You hummed in approval as you followed behind Tim towards the entrance to the docking station. From the corner of your eye, one of the security monitors caught your attention as you stopped to look at the newly lit screen. The instant feeling of dread washed over you as you read the newest request from Handsome Jack to ready a ship for his departure to Pandora in less than five minutes. Jack was heading to the Vault.

“[Y/N]?”

Tim noticed your sudden stop as he circled back towards you, he turned to see what had grabbed your attention when you instead grabbed the front of his sweater to pull him into a fierce kiss. At first you dominated him as he stood there in shock, unknowing what had gotten into you before slowly beginning to return the passion with his own. The feeling of his lips on yours was heavenly sweet, like eating your favorite ice-cream on a hot summer day. A intoxicating sensation that you were so thankful to have experience in your lifetime and when you felt a single tear roll down your cheek you pulled away only to forcefully push him backwards. As he stumbled through the doorway, you slammed your palm down on the adjacent panel as the security forcefield constructed between you.

“Whoa whoa whoa, [Y/N]? What the hell do you think you're doing?”

“Jack is on his way to the Pandora right now and we haven't gotten any word from the Vault Hunters that they had found Lilith. He would be expecting me at some point so I can at least slow him down a bit to buy them some more time.”

“What? Are you crazy?”

You didn’t answer, your gaze fell to the floor between you.

“What did I say? That you're not allowed to leave my side god-damn it! Not again.” Tim’s fists slammed against the barrier as the anger in his voice tampered off. “Please- please [Y/N], lower the forcefield. Don’t- don’t leave me again.”

Looking up at him, you choked harshly as your gazed into his sorrowful eyes that pleaded for you to reconsider. The mere sight of him in distress made your heart throb painfully, a ache you had only felt twice before; one when Jenna first disappeared and the other when you found out about her death.

“I’m sorry Tim, I have to do this.”

It hurt. Every cell in your body was scouring hot, begging for you to stop what you were doing and just listen to him but you knew that you needed to do this. To do everything you could to slow down Jack and hopefully give the Vault Hunters enough time to stop him from opening the Vault. Turning around, you forced your body to begin its ascent back into the heart of Helios as Timothy constantly banged on the barrier, shouting for you to come back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, thanks for taking the time to read. Please let me know of any errors or helpful criticism.  
> \--  
> I am so sorry this update took so long. I was having a hard time writing the chapter because it was planned to be the last one but I keep wanting to add more and thus it started getting a little longer than I liked so now it's split it two parts. Second part should be up sooner as the premises is all writing out.


	21. Chapter 21

The distance between leaving Timothy on the other side of the security gate and fast traveling to Jack’s office was over far too quickly. A journey so short you had no time to reconsider your actions, no time to prepare for when you inevitably faced Jack. The only indication you had that time was even still flowing was from counting each beat of your rampant heart as it pulsed thunderously in your chest. The blinding light that engulfed your vision from digistructing to a new section of Helios was brief as it faded to reveal the familiar office setting. Feeling the cool air-conditioned breeze that flowed from a nearby vent as it brushed your exposed skin. Hearing the dull taps of fingers on keyboards signaling the various employees that occupied the space. Seeing the same menacing glare that Meg gave you each time you passed her desk. Everything was hauntingly normal but as you descended down the narrow hallway to Jack’s office for the thousandth time you couldn't help but feel unease.

The unsettling atmosphere was claustrophobic, as if walls of Helios were slowly encroaching all around you and ensuring you couldn’t escape its secure confines. Each footstep echoed off the smooth metal as your blood hummed in anticipation, sending fiery aches of desire throughout your body. Bracing your palms on the thick door, you paused just for a moment to indulge your plaguing thoughts. Wondering if you were making the right choice, if Tim would ever forgive you for leaving him behind, if maybe you should have just left with him instead and hoped that the Vault Hunters found Lilith in time. You scoffed lightly, hope was always a nice thought to have but it wasn't enough to let you leave something this important to chance.

Pushing open the massive doors, a sigh of relief escaped your lips when you saw Jack still sitting at his desk. Knowing that you were not too late to slow down his departure for Pandora put you at ease though the feeling was short-lived. His gaze was currently set on his console display, his perfectly sculpted face was set into a deep scowl as he furiously typed into the machine. Only once you started making a steady pace towards him did his focus finally snap to the entrance way. Ready to chew out the brave soul that dared to enter his office only for his fearsome gaze to rest on your figure.

His eyes narrowed slightly as his lips formed into a stagnated line. “You sure do have some impeccable timing kitten. I wasn’t quite sure when you’d be showing up again after I couldn’t get ahold of you.”

“Sorry, my ECHO Unit was damaged while I was on Pandora.” Stopping in front of Jack’s desk you could feel your body already beginning to tremble, an irresistible mixture of terror and desire that you never got quite used to.

“That’s becoming a nasty little habit of yours. One I fully tend to correct but right now I’m a little busy.”

“Is there anything I can help with?” You groan internally, unable to stop the words before they left your lips.

“Nothing I can’t handle pumpkin. Just dealing with some fool who’s meddling where they don’t belong. Stay still while I finish up.”

Instantly you could feel your muscles tense up, the craving to fulfill his command made you hiss before complying. Jack's watchful gaze was still upon you as your body settled into an unmoving state, the corner of his lips curled upwards in satisfaction as he turned his full focus back onto the console. The drug in your systems vibrated pleasantly as you were forced to wait patiently, keeping your undivided attention on Jack.

It was worrisome but you had a feeling this would happen, that once you saw him in person you wouldn’t be able to control yourself. You were even concerned that you would lose your own ability to focus, remembering how it made you feel trapped in your own body when your mind bounced back and forth from the unending feed of information. Thankful that was not the case, your mind was still your own as you watched Jack silently. Pondering on what would have made him so agitated before your arrival, knowing Jack it could have been a number of things. From some idiotic employee that botched another sales quota, or from the Vault Hunters who should be currently raiding the Hyperion Info Stockade, but mostly likely you figured Jack must have clued into whatever Tim had done to disable Helios' transport systems.

The dull ache in your chest returned when your thoughts turned to Timothy. Remembering those pleading eyes before you left made your breath hitch, a painful expression that surely would haunt you for the rest of your days. Even looking at Jack as he diligently worked made your heart yearn for Tim, to find a way to get back to him but you hoped that he was no longer on the station. That he was able to leave for the safety of Pandora and was on his way to regroup with the Vault Hunters. The longer you were compelled to keep your attention on Jack, the more the unpleasant ache swelled inside you. As tears were beginning to threaten the corners of your eyes, it was too painful to keep your solitary gaze. An unspoken spike of pain ripped through your body, your blood burning angrily in defiance as you shifted your sight to the window behind him.

The unchanging view of Eplis always had a way to put you at ease. The natural vibrate glow that cascaded from its surface blended seamlessly with your own tinted vision, giving you a small sense of normalcy that you were slowly forgetting. The comforting effect it had on your mind was something you wanted to relish in but it was quickly becoming overshadowed by the ever growing hunger to refocus on the man in front of you. You weren't sure how long you stood persistent in this exhausting state, torn between fighting against the drug's wishes and succumbing to their urges. It wasn’t until Jack let out a deep chuckle that his presence trumped any willpower you had and force your mind to stand at his attention.

“Gotcha,” Jack whispered as he leaned back from his desk.

There was something sinister in the way he composed himself, the triumphant grin that crossed his face suggesting that he may still have the upper hand in things. Unnerved that Jack might have already found a solution to your attempt to blockade, you remained still as he perched his elbows down on the hard wooden desk and laced his fingers under his sharp chin.

“Now then. With that out of the way, why don’t we take a moment and you can fill me in what happened in Opportunity.”

There was an edge to his eyes, one that sent a tense shiver down your spine as his gaze kept you in place. “Well the city is secure once more, only suffering minimal damage and casualties since the Vault Hunters fled soon after I arrived. Bloodied of course.”

“That’s strange. Pretty sure I sent you down there to kill them not to let them escape with their lives intact.”

A flare of pain radiated through your body from his disappointing tone. “It was a three on one situation, I did what I could. Once they started to retreat I figured you didn’t want me wasting time gallivanting across the wilds chasing after them so I came back to Helios.”

Jack studied you silently as you suffered under his icy gaze, the drug continuously sending you small pulses of pain.

"Is that so? I guess when you put it that way, no I wouldn't want that."

The expression currently adorning his mask was hard to read, a mixture of disappointment and irritation but you also saw hints of what could be described as delight. It was alarming in its own right but as he suddenly stood up from his desk and started walking towards you could feel your stomach drop, attempting to back away resulted in your blood growling fiercely as your body refused to move. Realizing your utter lack of control made you panic internally though you tried to remain calm, not wanting Jack to find out about your small fragment of willpower.

His gaze was steadfast as he closed the distance between you, "but what I did want was for you to do as you were told. Is that really so hard for you still?"

Another spike of pain emitted from his words as it pushed the air from your lungs, your blood now overwhelmingly hot as it burned through your veins. Fresh tears pricked your eyes as you felt yourself slowly succumbing to the effects, the anguish of failing Jack once again tormenting you.

“No Jack.” You wanted to resist against this feeling. To show you still had the strength to overcome Jack's control but even with the reduced eridium in your blood it was still too much to bare.

Jack hummed as he slowly circled around your figure, “I hope for your sake that's true but something’s...off. What changed kitten?”

“Nothing’s changed. Just hurts.” You hissed as your blood burned harshly, unhappy at your sparse response.

Struggling to keep your composer, you were caught off guard when you felt a warm mass press up against your back. A wave of sudden relief washed over you as the drugged sung happily to Jack’s touch. His lips brushed against the side of your neck as his strong arms wrapped around your waist.

“You know, with everything we've been through I’d like to think I know you pretty well [Y/N]. I’ve seen what you're capable of and I must say I find it hard to believe you couldn’t take out three measly bandits by yourself.” Kissing at your exposed skin, you could feel the heat underneath pool in adoration as he left small marks in his wake.

“They aren't some regular bandits Jack.” You could feel your body losing its strength, completely relaxed in his embrace as he slowly traced a hand up your body.

“Oh I know cupcake. You really did hold your own for a while there didn't you? But you got a little greedy trying to one up that psycho huh?”

You gasped, the abrupt realization that Jack had been watching the whole time sent your mind into a frenzy as you commanded your body to push away but it was too late. Jack’s dominating hand enclosed around your throat as you remained submissive to his touch.

“I don’t mind if you want to have a little fun with your prey but that doesn’t give you an excuse to not kill them like I asked.”

The familiar agonizing pain returned as you tried to fight against Jack’s hold but the drug’s effects kept you dormant, your lungs begging for air as you managed to intake a few shallow breaths before his grip tightened.

“Well? You have anything to say for yourself?”

Hot tears streamed down your face as you struggled to keep consciousness, your limbs trembled slightly as you managed to clench your fists until you felt your nails dig deep into the flesh of your palms.

“What’s wrong kitten? Lost for words? What happened to all that fury you used to have? Don't tell me you were surprised that I was watching you. Did you forget that you can't hide anything from me?”

With your last remaining air in your lungs you growled, Jack knew you if you could even get a word past your lips you would. Darkness was slowly encompassing your vision as the pain continued to emanate throughout your body, the blaring heat in your veins combined with the absence of air was all consuming. As you closed your eyes in acceptance you suddenly were released, with his hands no longer carving fresh bruises into your flesh you collapsed onto your hands and knees. Coughing from the reintroduction of air, your purple tinted vision returned as you felt the cold metal floor below you instantly warmed to your touch. You didn’t know how much time had passed till your heart rate returned to a steady rhythm but as you recovered you could feel yourself beginning to split apart once more. Torn between accepting the drugs influence and begging Jack for forgiveness or to endure through the pain in hopes that it would continue to buy the Vault Hunters more time.

Through your labor breaths, you pushed yourself upright to look up towards Jack. He towered over you with his signature smirk on his lips as his heterochromia eyes gleamed at the sight before him. Frozen under his gaze, you were frightened of what might happen next when the sounds of rapid footsteps reached your sensitive ears. A firm knock on the office door rang out as Jack let out a small snort in amusement.

“Bring him in.”

Swiftly the door opened as two guards stood shoulder to shoulder, dragging an unconscious body between them. Taking a few steps forwards, they unceremoniously dropped the man in front of them as they gave Jack a small salute before exiting once more.

“Tim-aaugh” Attempting to stand sent a violent shock through your body that forced you back down. Your eyes widened in terror as you looked to see Tim slumped motionlessly on the floor, the distinct scent of blood permeated through the air as it pricked your nose uncomfortably.

“Don’t think about getting up kitten. I need to have a word with our wannabe hero.”

Jack stepped past you as you attempted to lunge forward, only to be stopped once more as your body froze from his command. Gritting your teeth you tried to fight against the drug, only managing to move your limbs in small increments as the scorching heat burned with each defiant act.

“Boy oh boy, you and Tim here really like to test my patience. Makes me wonder if it's even worth the effort sometimes.” Jack’s bolstering voice echoed through the grand office as he continued towards Timothy. "Sure you two will make a small mistake here and there that I'd have to correct but helping the Vault Hunters is really a new type of stupid. They’re the bad guys pumpkin."

Managing to get your hand on top of Jack’s desk, you used it as leverage to pull yourself up from your knees. Your blood seared your flesh as it forced a harsh gasp passed your lips, the heat was overwhelming your senses as it instructing you to obey Jack’s order. Lifting your gaze, Jack had stopped in front of the unmoving body as he glanced over his shoulder towards you.

"And it's quite obvious they did something to you when you fled the courtyard in Opportunity. Something not quite enough to break you but enough for you to be able to resist me," a deep chuckle escaped his lips, "and we can't have that."

Picking up Tim by the back of his jacket’s collar, his body moved without resistance as you noticed the fresh blood that still flowed from his temple when the crimson droplets splashed onto the polished floor below.

"I'm willing to bet it has something to do with ol'Timtams here. He always seems to have a bad habit of getting too attached to people I assigned him to."

“H-he has nothing to do with this," you remarked weakly.

“Really? You think I didn't know about the two of you?" Jack raised an eyebrow tauntingly. "Sure I get it, he is _me_ after all but that doesn’t mean he can just replace the real deal cupcake.”

“He’s nothing like you.” Placing both hands on his desk, your knees slightly buckled as you managed to catch yourself. The blistering torment becoming more adamant that you give in to its will.

“No I guess you're right. Tim’s has always been good at acting the part but I never could fully get rid of those annoying traits the kid has.” Holding Tim aloft with one hand, Jack began to roughly smack the side of the unconscious man’s face with the other. “Wakey wakey. Time to join the party kiddo.”

“Nugh-” Timothy winced as he slowly rose from his slumber.

“Rise and shine Timmy. I want you to be fully awake when you babble out whatever sad excuse you have this time.”

“Jack? Wha- [Y/N]!” As soon as Tim’s soft eyes befell you on the other side of the room his focus never wavered, fully aware of the current distress you were in. “[Y/N] are you ok? Hey, argh-”

Jack abruptly gripped into his hair as he pulled Tim’s upwards towards him. “A little rude of you to just ignore me like that. She’s not the one that woke you up from your beauty sleep princess.”

“Jack you-”

“Ah ah ah. Whatever am I going to do with the two of you. Honestly we are so close to our goal to reclaim Pandora and you just want to throw it all away now?”

“Our goal? W-we never wanted this.”

“Of course you do. Your purpose has always been to do whatever my heart desires so when I want something so do you.” Jack let go of his iron grip as Timothy quickly caught himself before his head collided with the floor. Now standing between you and Timothy, Jack placed his hands on his hips as he gazed around the room unconcerned of the growing tension. “But it seems I still have to teach you a lesson seeing as you think you could touch what is mine without permission.”

You gave him a disconcerted look, unsure at which one of you he currently was addressing as he never turned to face you or Tim directly.

“Can’t really blame you though kiddos. Maybe if you had asked nicely I would have let you... indulge yourselves every once and a while but to go behind my back wasn’t a smart move. Even I have to admit it's hard getting any work done around here when I’m constantly resisting to get my dick inside [Y/N].”

Even from this far away you could see the sudden crimson color flush the tips of Tim’s ears as he sheepishly looked away, you growled lowly under your breath as you stared daggers into Jack.

“Oh don’t tell me.” Jack turned back and forth between your reactions as he clearly understood the awkward situation. ” You have to be joking? Come on Tim, how could you not bang her with a body like that? I thought I taught you better than that. This is just sad.”

The room was eerily silent as you and Timothy glanced at each other, wordlessly sharing a moment of despair and sorrow.

“Well? One of you better start talking before I lose my patience and just airlock the both of you instead.” Jack’s voice was threatening as he crossed his arms in front of his chest.

Seeing both men occupying the same space shattered the unified desires your blood once had as it began to fight against itself. The multitude of urges to help either man was met with an onslaught of fiery pain in retaliation as your senses were once more overburdened with information. The sound of Jack’s calloused fingers drumming against his forearm angrily, the clear vision of a single bead of sweat that crawled down the side of Tim’s mask. Trying to find the words to express even remotely what the hell was going on was excruciating as you instead cradled your aching head in your hand. The foreboding atmosphere was deafening for a time till Tim’s voice whispered through the stagnant air.

“I just- I don’t want you to hurt her anymore.” Timothy slowly clambered to his feet as Jack turned to face him. Both men stood tall against one another as Tim raised his voice, “what you’ve done to her isn't right. She didn’t deserve this Jack. No one ever did. Not even Angel.”

“Don’t you dare speak about my daughter,” Jack growled.

With a snap of his fingers, the door to Jack’s office suddenly sprang open as the two guards from before quickly entered. Before Tim had time to react, both guards flanked him as they grappled him into submission. Pushing off the desk, you took a few steps forward but as another pulse of searing pain ripped through your veins you were forced to stop.

As Timothy struggled against his new bonds, Jack took the opportunity to step forwards and fiercely grip the bottom of his chin. Now face to face with Jack, you could see the sheer terror in Tim’s eyes as fruitlessly tried to pull away.

“You know what? I think you've forgotten your place Tim. It's about time you had a little reminder of how privileged you’ve been being my favorite body double.” Roughly letting go of him, Jack nodded towards the guards. “I want him off my station and on a shuttle straight to the casino. Make sure he gets equipped for his new job on the way there.”

"What? No Jack. P-please anywhere but there." Tim panicked as he helplessly struggled against his captors.

"Too late to beg Timtams. Maybe after you learn your place we can talk about earning my forgiveness."

“Stop this Jack! Leave him alone.” You shouted across the room, finally finding your voice as you vigilantly watched Tim in distress.

“It's cute that you think you have any say in this sweetheart. Real cute but you shouldn’t waste your effort on him anymore. You're gonna have bigger issues here in a sec.“

"[Y/N]!"

"Tim!"

Trembling in fear, you watched as the guards dragged Timothy out of the office and when the heavy _thud_ of the door slamming shut sounded the crushing weight of dread fully set. It was just like that night on Pandora all those years ago, you were not strong enough to protect the person you loved from the endless horrors of the universe. Helplessly you watched as you were unable to save Tim, just like how you had failed to save Jenna.

As your mind considered the possible fact that this could have be the last time you got to see Timothy, something in your chest shattered as time froze in that single moment. The dull ache you once felt now was more of a throbbing gash that oozed a river of endlessly misery, as if someone had just ripped out the dagger that had long been embedded in your heart. As it flowed you could feel all the sorrow, all the resentment you had for being so weak suddenly ignite into pure hatred. You couldn't accept this, you won’t leave Timothy to suffer, you needed to save him.

“This is a really bad time for you to be testing out the drug’s limits kitten but with that distraction out of the way maybe it will be easier for you to listen to who is really in charge here.”

Jack’s voice barely registered in your ears as your blood unexpectedly lost its fiery edge. The heat was still present but now it hummed mournfully, as if it was licking your invisible wound sympathetically.

“We got places to be so let's go.”

Hearing Jack’s command, you were caught off guard when there was no urge to follow, no force telling you to listen. “N-no.”

“What did you just say?”

“I said, no.”

Moments passed as you both stood unmoving, you knew time was not on your side if you wanted to save Timothy but Jack was not an opponent to take lightly. As Jack's scowled in your direction, you could feel your strength return as you stood and shifted into a wider stance to balance yourself.

Jack let out a heavy sigh as he slowly closed the space between you. “Fine. I guess we’ll stop by the lab to get you sorted before I leave for the Vault then.”

“You can’t.”

He stopped a few feet away as he gave you a quizzical look. “Of course I can. Do you remember who you're talking to cupcake or did you manage to fry a few brain cells during your little outburst there?“

“N-no. You can’t because it's gone. Your precious lab, your corrupt s-scientists, the data to make more soldiers. It's all gone.”

The utter disbelief on Jack’s face from your words was a sight to behold. The shift between wanting to call you a liar to contemplating the possible truth in mere seconds was something you wouldn’t soon forget.

“Nobody deserves this fate Jack and now I’ve made sure I am the last one to suffer from it.”

“You-” he snarled as his anger quickly boiled to the surface.

As he took a step forward, you swiftly pulled out two daggers from your belt and stood defensively. “Bring him back. I’m not letting you hurt Timothy any longer.”

“He put you up to this huh? Figured out a way to turn my own weapon against me.”

“No this is my own will. Something you failed to control.” With the drug no longer amplifying the searing heat in your blood, you were able to keep a steady focus as you observed Jack intently. The way his daunting eyes watched you was full of hatred from your betrayal but there was a note of sorrow behind it all that you couldn’t help but privy. “Why are you doing all this Jack?”

“Is that even a real question? I’m surprised at how much I need to remind you that what I say goes. Doesn’t matter why,” he scoffed as he continued to step towards you. “Now be a good ghost and maybe this won’t hurt too much.”

When he reached out to grab you, your prepared stance gave you enough room to duck under the attack as you countered by swiftly dragging your knife upwards. Seeing your reaction, Jack pulled back before the dagger cut into his chest but as he tilted his face from the strike, the blade's edge notched into the metal clasp at his chin. The sheer force of your strategic blow managed to loosen the mask's hold as it popped from its frame and landed with a deafening _clank_ on the hard metal floor. Peering over at the hollow mask that now sat dormant, you gasped before quickly turning your focus back to Jack.

With one hand clutching at his face he growled angry as he took a few steps back. “You little-”

You stood stunned as his singular blue eye pierced through his fingers, even with his hand covering up the majority of his face you could see the unmistakable scaring that laid beneath. Old wounds that were carved deep into his flesh that no doubt brought him constant discomfort and pain from their wake. As he slowly pulled away his hand, you watched as he revealed the unnatural blue scar etched into his features that resembled an upside down ‘V’. Seeing his real face made you feel a immense wave of pity for Jack, that he too had suffered some cruel twist of fate but the sincere sympathy you felt only raised more questions than answers.

“You know Jack, it’s always mattered. Ever since I’ve got here I’ve tried to never question your motives. I never once cared about what you were doing to Pandora or its inhabitants but I still didn’t want to be left out in the dark. The fact that you were able to hide so many secrets from me is astonishing but really it was all just so I never saw your true self wasn’t it?”

Jack remained eerily quiet as you spoke.

“You kept everyone who ever gave a damn about you away so you could use them and for what? So you could get closer to those stupid Vaults? To save some forsaken planet filled with nobody worth saving?” You growled as your anger stirred the heat in your veins once more, “answer me Jack!”

Jack physically paused for a moment, contemplating his next move before he started to speak in a docile tone. “You want to know why I'm trying to awaken the Warrior?“

The dark demeanor that overtook Jack's features was instantly frightening as the scars only applied his mounting anger.

“Because it's not enough. This disgusting planet. These stupid, stupid frecken bandits I defeated- I don’t know, how many years ago? It's not enough, I want it all!”

Wildly, he gestured around him as he forcefully took a bold stride forward that made you retreat backwards.

“Every planet! Every star! You know what, call me old fashioned but being a god sounds like a hell of a lot of fun.” His unfamiliar lips curled into the sly smirk that you had grown so accustomed to.

“A god? You can’t be serious.” Bewildered by his erratic statement, you were scared by how far Jack was willing to go to control everything.

“Oh I’m dead serious, kitten. You and everyone else can’t even fathom what I am capable of. This is just the beginning.”

“Can’t you even hear yourself Jack? I always knew you were going mad chasing after the Vaults but this is beyond that.”

When your back hit the cold glass behind you, there was nowhere left to retreat. As you readied your daggers once more for his attack, Jack abruptly stopped as he chuckled under his breath before pulling out a pistol from his jacket.

You snarled as he aimed the gun towards you, knowing that Jack would not miss if he pulled the trigger. “What are you planning to do once you kill us all then? You think anyone would be willing to follow you once they find out who you truly are? Even with the drug, I was able to break free from your control.” 

Jack stood silently, his aim never faltered as he remained eerily calm which only angered you more.

“I trusted you Jack. I wanted to think that I had finally found what I had been searching for years on Pandora. A place to belong while keeping my sister safe but as soon as she was slight inconvenience to your plan you just had to go ahead and use me to slaughter her in cold blood.” Your breath hitched as tears threatened to cascade down your face. “You single handily destroyed anything we ever had together so just tell me why. Why have you done this to me? Why do you continue to make Timothy suffer by your own hands? Why did you do those cruel things to your own daughter? Do we all really mean so little to you?”

Jack’s scarred lips curled as he flashed his fangs at you, his functional eye pieced into you with the same icy glare but the brief flash of hurt behind his eyes was unmistakable.

“Because nobody is allowed to get in my way,” he snarled. ”Not those traitorous bandits on Pandora. Not you. Not Timothy. Not even my own god-damn daughter.”

“You're a monster Jack.”

“A monster huh? Then what does that make you?”

His question made you pause, contemplating all the things you considered yourself. A cold hearted thief capable of infiltrating heavily guarded facilities to destroy their horrific secrets. A deadly assassin who left countless bodies in your wake no matter where you went. An unknown nightmare that haunted the halls of Helios that drove its inhabitants to fear every shadow they encountered. You were all these things and more but there was only one thing you had truly ever been.

“A ghost.”

As the words passed your lips you couldn't help by smile, for the first time in your miserable existence you were finally able accepted what you were. It was comforting, not being ashamed of what you had become since Jenna first left that terrible night. That all the ordeals and trials you had endured up until this point shaped you into the person that could stand up against Handsome Jack. A person who was capable of finding the slivers of hope that still lingered in the darkness, a person still capable of loving someone just as much as you loved your sister.

A heavy sigh left Jack’s lips as his shoulders slumped slightly, “then I guess it's time we finally make that true."

His threat was not misunderstood as you pushed off the glass, sprinting forward as you tossed a dagger in his direction. The blade sunk deep into his shoulder as he grunted from the pain but it wasn’t enough to disrupt his steady aim. A ear-piercing _bang_ rang through the office as you suddenly stopped your advancement, the heat under your skin slowly fading as a cold numbing sensation took its place. Placing a hand on the middle of your chest, you felt nothing as you peer down to see it now stained unnatural purple in your own tinted blood. Strength was rapidly leaving you as you slumped to your knees, not feeling the impact of the ground as you looked up towards Jack. The gun outreach in his hand smoked lightly as he stood unmoving, his single blue eye dilated as your gaze met his. It was strange, even though his features were expressionless you could see everything through that one captivating eye. All the hopes, dreams, and desires he had for you were instantly extinguished by his own actions.

There was no heat, no pain but you could feel the never-ending tears that fell from your eyes. You were sorry that it came to this, that you couldn’t save Jenna, that you couldn’t save Timothy, that you couldn’t even save Jack. It was time, you had fought long enough against Pandora’s corruption and the constant torments of your life’s failures as they had finally caught up with you. The world around you grew silent as darkness clouded your vision, a deep breath filled your lungs as you drifted off into the Great Beyond.

\--

Jack's chest heaved heavily as the distinct scent of gunpowder hit his nose. With his arm still outstretched he watched as [Y/N] took her last breath and now laid motionlessly on the floor. The gun that shot the fatal blow fell to the ground noisily as the realization that she was gone washed over him. A wave of grief and regret consumed him, emotions he long thought were locked away after the death of his own daughter.

Slowly turning towards his discarded mask, he picked it up as he looked into its hollow sockets. Jack contemplated her last words, how this mask hid his true self from the world, covered up the scars that made him push everyone away. Fastening the mask back into place, he swiftly pulled out the knife in his shoulder. The sudden burst of pain forced the air from his lungs as he held out the bloodied dagger in front of him. This was her dagger, one of a set that he had given to her as a gift but now she had used it against him. Her betrayal wasn't unfounded based on the things he had done but all he could think about was how his ghost was perfect for a time. One of the few things that had brought him countless joy as he watched her wreak havoc on his enemies but now that was all over. He had failed to keep her just like he did with his daughter and because of that he was now truly alone. Facing [Y/N]’s body, a growing pool of blood was forming under her as he stepped closer. Her alluring face looked like it was at peace, finally free from the endless nightmares that consumed her but he did not have time to remorse.

Carefully, Jack picked up [Y/N]'s lifeless body as began to leave his office. This would be his last gift to her, to bring her to Pandora with him so that she would be there when he wakes the Warrior; just like he had always planned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ello everyone. Thanks again for taking the time to read. This emotional roller-coaster is finally done and it feels bad just like I said it would. 
> 
> With the Reader finally free of her torments, Tim being sent to the casino all alone and Jack venturing to the Vault to meet his demise there is nothing more to add. 
> 
> Let me know what you thought or things I can approve upon for my next story. I hope you enjoyed. <3


End file.
